


The Pursuit of Power

by Phoenixfyre_7, Wildwynd_13



Series: Saga of Ninjas [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Aiden is a true bro friend, Backstory, F/M, Kai is judgey, Kai's a hotheaded egotist, Kibs just doesn't care, Protective bro, Slight OOC, doesn't always follow canon, nightmare becomes reality, pilot episodes, pilot episodes retold, sensei wu is as vague as always, sister sass, unless it makes Kai mad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 18:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15646464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixfyre_7/pseuds/Phoenixfyre_7, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildwynd_13/pseuds/Wildwynd_13
Summary: Kai does his best to provide for himself and Nya, happily shaping their future within the confines of Ignacia Village. Suddenly, his world is turned upside down and he is thrown headfirst into a wild adventure as he makes a desperate attempt to save his sister. An old man offers him an opportunity to work with a team, a plan doomed to fail since no one can agree on anything. Kai especially finds himself at odds with a mysterious stranger who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Will the gathered members overcome their differences to battle evil? Or will their own selfish ambitions tear them apart? A retelling/remake of the pilot episodes with my own twists, all in good fun.





	1. A Hammering Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the reboot of my (Wild's) first fanfiction! If you've read the first couple chapters that Phoenix posted of the original, note that I will be changing a lot of plot and story stuff. If you haven't read those, you were spared as those chapters were written over five years ago. (I will be taking down the original after the weekend).  
> This is purely for enjoyment for myself, for my co-writer and beta Phoenix, and for all you readers whose interest it piques. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago or Lego. The only thing I own is my OC's. 
> 
> Peace out, Wild.

 

 

The smoke was overwhelming. It rose from the embers, steadily leaking its burning perfume towards the cypress timbers of the roof. The smoke sought to sting the eyes of unsuspecting individuals who came too close to its domain. However, the smoke’s tricks were well known by the blacksmith-in-training.

Kai lifted a gloved hand to readjust his safety goggles, sweat trickling down his face. The forge was relentless in its discharge of heat, which was made doubly worse with the addition of the scorching sun of late summer. The intense temperature was enough to send anyone reeling away in discomfort. However, the thick fabric of his tunic and apron kept the searing heat from scorching his skin.

Goggles firmly in place, he rolled his stiff shoulder before hefting his hammer and bringing it down upon the sword lying on an anvil. The hot metal sang under the blow, ringing throughout the small shop and echoing across the village. Lip curling into a smile, the smith resumed the rhythm that he had been beating earlier. Sparks flew in every direction, adding a sort of magic to the hard labor. The pounding tempo set the rhythm of life within the village. Everything followed a pattern, one that began and ended with the rise and fall of his hammer.

Smirking at his own power, he imagined people flooding his shop. All were in awe by his workmanship and begged to know his secrets. Being a humble soul, he couldn’t help but enlighten them.

“To forge the perfect weapon,” he addressed his invisible audience, “you first need the right metal and plenty of heat.”

He paused his hammer blows and inspected his work. The raw metal had been beaten into a curved, sharpened katana, a testament to his craftsmanship skills. His smile widened; the demonstration was going perfectly, as expected.

“Cool it off,” he deftly slid his sword into a nearby bucket of water. The liquid sizzled and fizzed, steam rapidly emerging where the katana made contact. The glowing blade dimmed, the water returning to its original dark hue. The smith grinned victoriously as he swiftly raised the sword above his head.

“And presto!”

His smile was replaced by slack-jawed confusion. The metal was warped and bent, a mangled copy of its previous glory. Quickly scanning the extent of the damage, he let out a groan. He’d have to spend endless hours reheating and stress relieving the blade. Even then, it might not straighten properly. Maybe he could sell the ruined katana as modern art.

Laughter floated inside the shop. The smith looked up for a second before groaning again. Of course, the one time that his younger sister looked inside was when he made such a mortifying mistake. Go figure.

“You made it too quickly, Kai,” Nya helpfully suggested, biting her cheeks in an attempt to stop her laughter.

Kai scoffed at her remark. He had made it too quickly, too quickly she said. He was _so_ grateful for her pointing out the obvious.

“Be patient,” she advised, regaining a sense of seriousness as she placed her hands on her hips. “If father were here, he’d say―”

“I know, I know,” he sighed as he stalked back over towards the anvil. “No matter how much fire you have, experience isn’t something you learn overnight.”

Grabbing hold of his hammer, he glanced around the shop. Multiple weapons, fittings of armor, and shields bordered the cypress walls. Most of them were of his own making, but a few were made by his father’s hand. The smith didn’t need to look closely to see that his predecessor’s craftsmanship was far better than his own. His grip tightened on the handle of the hammer.

“That may be true for you, Nya,” he rolled his right shoulder in determination, “but I’m going to be a better blacksmith than Dad ever was.”

A skeptical murmur answered his declaration. Kai froze and grit his teeth in frustration. He turned on his sister, ready to fire his mouth off at her. Kai blinked in surprise. It wasn’t Nya in his line of vision, but an old man. A _very_ old man. He was stooped over with age, a bamboo staff clutched firmly in his hand as a mode of balance and support. A beard as white as his kimono trailed downwards, nearly long enough to tuck into his belt if he wished. His conical bamboo hat tipped forward, hiding the man’s face from view. Kai frowned at their customer. It wasn’t someone he recognized; definitely not one of the village elders.

The man ignored both him and his sister as he peddled around the shop. He glanced at each creation nonchalantly, tapping the samples experimentally as he passed.

“Your metal is loud and heavy,” the old customer finally murmured, “useful to slow one down, useless in the art of stealth.”

Kai scowled, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. Who was this old fart to come and criticize his work? He had poured hours of his time into making these pieces. No, he had dedicated his whole self to produce satisfactory weapons. Couldn’t the old man see that?

“All tools for a samurai,” the man’s bamboo staff rapped sharply against a kabuto helmet. Kai’s blood boiled at the mishandling of his work. The blacksmith-in-training opened his mouth to speak, ready to lash out at the old man about their policy on damaged merchandise.

However, the old man suddenly whipped around, lifting his head so that Kai could finally see his face. The young smith’s mouth remained open, but his words died in his mouth. Among the numerous sets of wrinkles creasing his appearance, a set of gray eyes stared at him. The fixed look they held was sharp, clear, and inquisitive. The eyes had so many stories to tell, years of experience mirrored in their depths. What kind of experience, Kai didn’t know.

“Is there nothing here for a ninja?”

The old man’s question snapped Kai back to the present and he broke contact with those piercing eyes. With this discontinuation of the staring contest, his annoyance at the customer resurged and doubled by the seemingly harmless inquiry.

“Ninja?” Kai scoffed, making it excessively apparent how absurd the idea was. “You’re a long way from finding a ninja in these parts, _old_ man.” The stress on his age didn’t seem to faze the customer, causing Kai to scowl. “The sign says, ‘Four Weapons,’ not ‘For Browsing.’ Either buy something or go peddle your insults somewhere else.”

That piercing gaze examined Kai again, and despite the heat, he shivered. That look made him feel vulnerable, and he didn’t like it.

“Too bad.” The old man scoffed, suddenly turning around. “I thought I might find something special here.”

Kai couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. He turned towards his sister, cocking an eyebrow in question to the old man’s behavior. Nya struggled to respond before settling for a shrug. In Kai’s opinion, this guy was a few bricks short of a wall. But, if the old man was searching for something special, there might be one or two pieces of merchandise that Kai could showcase to him. After all, he had a living to uphold.

“Let me show―” Kai stopped mid-sentence, at a loss for words once again. The customer was nowhere in sight. “He was just…” he trailed off again. How had that old man disappeared so quickly?

“Forget it,” Kai muttered, turning back to his work. He didn’t care if the guy was gone. If the man’s special search didn’t include the weapons he forged here, then he didn’t deserve to shop here. He must be blind if he couldn’t see good-quality craftsmanship when it was right under his nose.

\---------

“C’mon Kai! Dinner will never be ready in time if we don’t go now!”

“Yeah, yeah...just a minute...”

Kai tossed his gear aside, striding outside in the direction of the water pump. Giving the lever a few hefty pushes, he bent over splashed the cascading water into his face, scrubbing the grime off with his hands. When he made an appearance anywhere, he preferred not to be covered in soot. Hardly attractive.

Hands now clean, he reached up and inspected his chocolate-brown hair. Well-defined spikes met his touch, his purposefully messy style having held up through the day’s work. A confident smirk flashed across his face. Nobody could resist this hairdo, especially not when it was coupled with his charm.

“...you done daydreaming?” Kai’s head snapped to his left, catching sight of his sister placing her hands on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow. “I’d prefer to reach the store _before_ it closes, if you don’t mind.”

“Wha―” he spluttered, smirk replaced with a scowl, “I was not daydreaming! What gave you that idea?”

“I don’t know,” she began striding down the path leading from their house, her black bob swishing from side to side and red cheongsam dress fluttering in her wake, “maybe it’s the fact that you were grooming your hair with a stupid grin on your face? You probably think that every girl you meet falls hopelessly in love with you.”

“Shut up,” Kai groaned, picking up the pace until he fell into step beside her. “Can’t a guy wash up after a hard day’s work without his sister accusing him of ulterior motives? I can’t help it if my looks are undeniably attractive; I’m sorry if that somehow offends you.”

“Right…” Nya did her best to avoid looking at him, “whatever you say, Mr. Hedgehog.”

“Hey! Leave my hair out of this!”

The banter continued in a similar manner until they reached the main square of the village. All around them, life thrived. Families busied themselves with their trade, contributing to the many shops that kept the village running. Some adults whose businesses were closed for the day spent the evening winding down, sharing scant news with each other and catching up on the day’s happenings.

The siblings passed an elder who sat on a nearby whittled-down oak stump. They bowed to her out of respect, Nya approaching the woman and sharing polite greetings. Kai grudgingly followed, not willing to get caught up in another conversation with another crazy old person.

“Kai! Kai, over here!”

The smith grinned and turned on his heel, striding quickly towards some kids waving excitedly by the fountain. Any excuse to keep from being drawn into the boring exchange behind him.

“Hey punks,” Kai ruffled the closest kid’s hair fondly, “what trouble have you gotten into today?”

“Leo let a frog loose in Mrs. Barry’s kitchen today!” All the kids guffawed, punching Leo lightly and giving him high-fives.

Kai exaggeratedly raised his eyebrows. “In Bossy Barry’s kitchen?” The kids sniggered at the nickname. “That was rather bold of you, Leo. Did she catch you?”

“Nah,” the culprit swaggered forward, his wide grin showing off his missing front tooth, “she never saw me. She found the frog and screamed like a little girl! She was hopping around like the floor was lava!”

A chorus of laughter rang out, some of the boys trying to impersonate the woman’s dance of terror.

“Wish I could have seen it,” Kai shook his head, all pity lost for the woman who had smacked him across the head many a time for trying to sneak a measly pastry.

“But,” one of the boys rushed in front of the group, eyes gleaming impishly, “we’ve got something for you!”

“And what would that be? What have you deemed worthy of my attention today, you miscreants?” Kai bent over to look the kid in the eye, hands propped above his knees.

“That!” The kid gestured extravagantly towards the fountain. “We want you to jump it!”

“Jump it?” Kai eyed the fountain. “The whole thing?”

“Yep, the whole thing!”

“In a single bound!”

“You can’t touch it at all!”

“Not one drop of water!”

Kai straightened up, crossing his arms as he thought over the challenge. The fountain bubbled innocently, almost daring him to try and clear the crystal waters.

He smirked, winking at the kids as he cracked his knuckles in resolve. “Challenge accepted.”

The boys whooped and cheered, clearing a path as the blacksmith-in-training backed up for a running start. Kai couldn’t help but let out a confident laugh. This was going to be a piece of cake. He hadn’t asked to show off, but who was he to pass up on the opportunity?

Kai leapt into action, streaking past the rambunctious kids. Pumping his arms for more momentum, he visually gauged the best place to leap from. Just a bit further, and he’d clear this baby―

“Geronimo!”

A loud yell startled him, causing him to falter in his jump. As he wobbled ungracefully in the air, he was struck from behind and knocked directly into the fountain. He hit the water hard, his outstretched arms keeping him from smashing into the bricks. After a few moments of panicked thrashing, he emerged from the shallow pool, gasping and spluttering from the unforeseen plunge. Laughter erupted around him, as did intense splashing. Not a foot away floated a young boy, kicking the water in his glee. He was as equally soaked as Kai but didn’t seem to mind one bit as he was rather preoccupied with a fit of giggles.

“Ethan got you!” The other boys surrounded the fountain, pointing and looking rather pleased with themselves. “He got you good!”

Kai felt his cheeks redden and he turned towards the little troublemaker with a growl. “Ethan…”

The boy shrieked and began to scramble towards the nearest side of the fountain, trying to escape. The blacksmith-in-training let out a snarl and lunged for the boy, successfully stopping his futile attempts with a tackle. The other boys screamed excitedly as a wave of water splashed them from the struggle.

In no time, a full-scale war broke out. The boys crowding into the fountain to try to subdue Kai while the smith took it upon himself to dunk each kid who got within reach. He grinned savagely as Leo went under. This would teach them, the little twerps.

“Oh-ho, what is this extravagant entertainment that I’ve stumbled across?”

Kai looked up at the towering figure, cognac eyes flashing in recognition. A muscular teen stood on the fountain’s edge, hands on his hips as he viewed the scene with a boyish grin. The smith’s eyes narrowed. That grin set off an alarm in his mind.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Kai,” the boy chuckled, gesturing good-naturedly. “What a sight. If we didn’t both know how drop-dead ugly you are,” his heterochromia irises flashed mischievously, “I would have said that you are―”

“Aiden―” Kai warned.

“―dripping with good looks.” A double finger gun was added for effect.

With a roar, Kai splashed the joker, soaking him despite the teenager’s futile attempt to shield himself with his arms.

“Oh, it’s on!” Aiden pounded his fist into his palm and lunged towards the smith. The kids dove out of the fountain, cheering and yelling as the two boys locked themselves in a rolling wrestle, each trying to pin each other down.

Kai twisted and turned as he scrambled to fight off Aiden’s sinewy arms. This was made harder by the fact that his muscles were already sore from the day’s work. Even so, his confidence never faltered. He’d win this fight, for sure.

He sharply jabbed up with his knee, knocking the wind out of Aiden. In this moment, he pushed his opponent to the side and effectively pinned his arms down. He swung his weight over and landed on top of the other boy, reducing any opportunities to escape.

“Give it up, Aiden,” Kai grinned, relentlessly thwarting the ginger’s attempts at breaking free.

Bubbles frothed as Aiden struggled to liberate himself, thrashing in Kai’s grip. The blacksmith-in-training tightened his hold on the other’s wrists, smirking victoriously. Endless days of gripping his tools of the trade when heat and muscle fatigue plagued him had hardened him. There was no chance for his opponent.

Suddenly, Aiden jacked his right elbow over his head and thrust his right hip simultaneously. Caught by surprise, Kai slipped to the side, his form destabilized. Aiden wasted no time and thrust his full weight towards him. Scrambling to regain leverage, the smith slipped on the fountain’s smooth surface. His head was plunged into the shallow water, his cheek scraping against the granite. Aiden’s weight pressed down on him for a second as the boy used his momentum to roll up and over Kai. The smith knew his opponent was going for a standing position for better leverage.

With no opponent to hold him down, Kai also scrambled to stand, trying to bring the fight to equal ground. However, even as he pushed himself up, a solid blow struck his ankles, knocking out all support. Kai crashed back down to the ground, cursing himself for not foreseeing Aiden’s leg sweep.

He gasped as Aiden’s arm wrapped around his neck, the contracting muscles pressuring his wind pipes. Legs uselessly thrashing in front of him, the smith grasped at his opponent’s arms with his hands and pulled with all his might. The hold tightened in response, causing Kai to hack.

“Now who’s the one who should ‘give it up?’” A voice chuckled behind him.

Kai struggled harder in response. He’d never admit defeat. Never.

Suddenly, the pressure disappeared. Barely catching himself from face-planting into the water, he turned and narrowed his eyes at the figure standing over him.

“I could have broken free. You didn’t give me enough time.”

“He had you beat, Kai.”

Kai tensed, head automatically swiveling in the voice’s direction. There stood Nya, observing him, Aiden, and the group of ecstatic kids with her arms crossed and an eyebrow arched. Kai scowled at her disapproving look, water shedding off his tunic as he stood up in the partially emptied fountain.

“Honestly, I am more scared of your sister than I am of you.” Aiden eyed Nya, raising his hands defensively as he addressed Kai. “She came marching over here and my blood ran cold. I was pretty sure that if I held you there for one more second, she was going to kick my butt. But,” Aiden leaned towards him, the purpose of the hand shielding his mouth negated by his carrying whisper, “for the record, this counts as my win.”

The surrounding kids whooped and cheered. Cheeks flaming in embarrassment, Kai took turns glaring at both Aiden and Nya, finally deciding to channel his temper at the latter. “I didn’t need you to step in. I was about to turn the tides.”

“Uh-huh,” Nya placed a hand on her hip, “you were turning the tides alright. Turning them clear out of the fountain. I just came over to let you know that if you keep up your antics, guess who’s going to have to refill the fountain by hand?”

Kai looked over at Aiden, who looked sobered by Nya’s choice of words.

“These were not antics,” Aiden stormed out of the fountain, talking over the kids’ laughter, “these were battles of real men.”

“Of course,” Kai followed along behind his friend, “you wouldn’t understand, since you’re a girl.”

“Nice one,” Aiden reached over with a fist bump, coaxing a grin from Kai.

The smith’s smile died as his hair was sharply yanked, causing him to yelp as his head was forced downwards. Similar outbursts of pain sounded from his right, indicating that Aiden was suffering the same fate.

“That’s funny,” Nya’s sharp tone broke over their protests, “for _real men_ , you two sure have very girly squeals. Of course, what would I know, since I’m just a girl.”

“Ow-ow-ow!” Kai squinted his eyes, his anger giving way to aversion from the pain. “Alright, I’m sorry! Okay? Just please let go!”

“So,” Nya’s voice indicated that she was thoroughly enjoying herself, “you take back that cheap girl comment?”

“Absolutely,” Aiden whimpered beside him, “please, spare us!”

The pain immediately disappeared. Kai apprehensively raised his head, rubbing the sore spot carefully.

“Honestly,” Nya shook her head, though a smile was tugging at her lips, “with you two around, I can never have a dull moment.”

“I take pride in that.” Aiden twirled his braid pompously, wincing from the pain the action wrought. “Although, I’d prefer if that didn’t entail you pulling our hair out every other time we see each other.”

“That’s your fault,” she pointed accusingly at the two of them, causing Kai to roll his eyes. “You’re both too full of yourselves. How your egos allow you to be friends is beyond me.”

“Trust me,” Kai felt his signature smirk tug at his lips as he rested his elbow on Aiden’s shoulder, “I’m not friends with this loser by choice. I’m just sucking up to him since we get our days’ worth of meat from his family.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” Kai’s shorter friend shrugged his elbow off took his turn of resting against Kai. “If it weren’t for the fact that he forged the heads for my arrows, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to him right now. Although,” Aiden turned to give Kai a small frown, “I guess I could just ask Nya to do it instead. She’s the better blacksmith anyway.”

Kai’s smirk dissolved. “Is not.”

“Is too,” Aiden waggled a finger knowingly.

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

“Guys!” Kai’s mouth snapped shut as Nya threw her hands up in exasperation. “Are you really going to do this now? I’d love to at least get our supplies for dinner before it’s morning, if that’s alright with you.”

“Sorry, sorry,” both red and brown eye twinkling, Aiden elbowed Nya good-naturedly, “let’s head over to the market.”

“Fine,” Kai relented, the pangs of hunger beginning to nudge him. “See you later, punks,”He ruffled the heads of those he passed, but made sure to pinch the ears of the troublesome Ethan and Leo duo. “I’m going to throw you into the fountain later.”

“Bye kiddos,” Aiden saluted them, “don’t forget that it was Aiden the Hunter who defeated Kai the Blacksmith at this very fountain in the village of Ignacia. Sing my praises!”

“Rematch!” Kai strained his neck to look at the boys. “There will be a rematch as soon as possible. Kai the Blacksmith will triumph over Aiden the Hunter!”

“Do you want dinner tonight, or not?”

“Fine, fine,” Kai broke away from his minions, his hunger more intense than his desire for revenge.

\----------

“Will that be all for you?”

Kai looked longingly at the steaks lying on the stall’s counter, rubbing his fingers together. It’d been too long since he’d last had pan-seared steak, a rare treat that he was now craving. He itched to make an impulse buy, throw the meat in their wok, and whip together a ‘Kai Specialty Dish’ for their dinner. It’d be sure to replenish all the energy he’d spent today.

He nonchalantly eyed the money satchel clasped in Nya’s hands, which simultaneously caused the fingers to clutch the sack tighter. Kai glanced up and saw his sister’s eyes trained on him, eyebrows furrowing in exasperation.

“That will be all,” Nya stressed towards Kai while smiling sweetly at the woman waiting for an answer.

“Very well,” she chuckled, fanning herself as she sat beneath the awning. “Although I believe your brother is of a different mind. He appears pretty desperate to get his hands on those choice cuts.”

“Of course he is,” a husky voice sounded from the storefront just behind the stall, “a man knows which meat is the best, and a growing boy knows what’ll sate his appetite.”

Kai was already grinning even before the store owner made his appearance. Stooping to keep from hitting his head on the doorpost, a robust man emerged from the doorway, wiping his hands on a stained rag. His weathered skin, muscular bulk, and braided, graying hair gave him a rough, intimidating presence, but his brown eyes looked kindly on the pair of siblings.

“Perhaps,” Nya crossed her arms, gazing reproachfully at the towering man, “but women know when and where money should be spent, Uncle.”

“Well, that is the truth,” the man shrugged while his wife chuckled at the exchange. “But I thought I told you to call me Declan. You don’t need to call me ‘Uncle’ anymore, not when you two are no longer kids.”

“Now dear,” the woman softly shook her head, “don’t hurry them towards growing up faster than need be. Nya’s barely fourteen and Kai’s just two years older than that. Don’t worry about your uncle,” she turned her sweet, motherly smile towards the two of them, “you can call us whatever you’d like.”

“Thanks, Auntie,” Nya returned the smile.

“Don’t worry,” Kai leaned against the stall, flashing a grin at the woman, “you’ll always be Auntie to me too. But,” he turned his gaze towards the muscular man, “I’ve called this old man Declan for a while now, so I’ll keep with it.”

“Old man?” Declan’s arm shot out from behind the counter, lightly punching Kai in the shoulder. “Don’t provoke those stronger than you, boy. You’ve still got a ways to go before you can challenge me man-to-man.”

Kai rubbed his sore muscles, but he couldn’t stop grinning. Declan could be rough and even abrasive, but he had learned by now that everything was done to help them grow. Kai would never say it out loud, but he deeply respected Declan. He was the closest thing he had to a father.

The grin slipped off Kai’s face, the thought effectively sobering him. His mother had passed away giving birth to Nya, so he didn’t remember her. But his father...memories of him working the forge flashed through his mind. Back then, Kai had eagerly helped in the shop whenever he could. When the work was too hard, he spent his days babysitting Nya or playing with Aiden. Those were happy days.

Kai closed his eyes, the memories turning sour. _That_ day was ingrained in his mind as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. Kai and Nya were staying over at Declan’s and Lauren’s while their dad went on an extended trip to mine a special metal for a weapon of a well-paying customer. _That_ day, he had been fighting off the “monsters” in the fields with Aiden, their wooden swords harmlessly bouncing off everything they struck. Nya had stubbornly followed along, determined to join in the play.

Then, Lauren had come flying down the road, scooping up Nya while anxiously calling for the two boys to follow her back to the house. His nine-year-old self hadn’t known what to expect, wasn’t sure why Declan looked so grim. The answer to that had caused Nya to start crying. Kai didn’t hear her, stunned by disbelief. His dad had promised that he’d come back to them, that they’d all return home after the trip. He had promised.

But death doesn’t abide by promises of the living. Death forced its own contract that day, writing a tragic mining accident into the fine print. A happy family was broken, and two children were left as orphans. Declan and Lauren had stepped forward, appealing to the village elders that they would care for the children as their own. Since the whereabouts of any blood relatives were unknown, this proposition was approved.

Kai sharply shook his head, swallowing down the ache and survivor’s guilt. He knew in his heart that he wasn’t to blame, that there was nothing he could have done. If he had gone, he would have died in the accident as well. Then Nya would have been alone. Glancing over at his laughing sister, Kai felt the regret completely dissipate. He knew this was the life his dad would have wanted for them, to go on best that they could. It was the only thing they could do.

“So,” the blacksmith-in-training snapped out of his reverie as Declan stepped out from behind the stall, squinting as the shade from the awning deserted him, “how’s business going? Still learning the ropes?”

Kai felt his lips twitch, a confident smirk trying to sneak onto his face. “Business is business as usual. And as for blacksmithing, it comes as naturally as breathing. My masterpieces are improving every day.”

“Yeah,” came a quick retort from inside the shop, “if you call a sword shaped like a ring an improvement.”

“No one asked you, Aiden!” Kai growled. “Anyway, that hasn’t happened in months.”

The ginger stuck his head out the doorway, gesturing towards the smith with a bloodied knife. “You wish. Nya told me about your little project you were working on today. She said your sword was as warped as your ego.”

“Aiden,” the smith saw the ginger freeze as Lauren turned her flaming red eyes on her son, “quit antagonizing Kai. Go finish skinning those rabbits.”

“Yes mom,” the teenager allowed himself a nervous smile before promptly slipping back inside.

“Don’t let his words get you down,” Declan encouraged Kai as he watched his wife wrap up the chicken thighs that the siblings had just purchased. “Learning one’s trade doesn’t happen overnight. For all his big talk, Aiden still has a lot to learn before he becomes a master at hunting. Just the other day, he spotted a deer only fifteen yards out and he still failed to hit it.”

“Dad,” Aiden’s voice whined from within the shop, “if you could stop exaggerating my failures, I’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll stop when you quit doing the same to your friend.” Declan grinned victoriously as his son groaned.

“Here you are,” Lauren handed the package over to Nya, looking wistfully at the siblings. “You know, you’re welcome over for dinner anytime. I know you’re both working towards providing for yourselves, but remember that our door is always open to you.”

Kai couldn’t think of anything to say and settled for a nod. Lauren was always there for them. Once he and his sister had been orphaned, she had immediately stepped in and had been like a mother to them. He had as much respect for her as he had for Declan.

“We understand,” Nya skipped around the stall, enveloping Lauren in a hug. “Thanks Auntie.”

“Aww,” another pair of arms enveloped the hugging ladies, “is it lovey-dovey time? Are we all sharing how much we love each other and how we’ll all be a happy family forever and ever?”

“We were trying,” Nya shoved Aiden away, placing a hand on her hip, “but then you came along. Honestly, I’m glad you’re not my younger brother by blood.”

“Woah,” Aiden held up a hand to stop her, “who are you calling younger brother? You do know I’m a year older than you, right?”

“Really?” Nya’s hazel-blue eyes flashed mischievously. “The way you act, I’d never have guessed.”

“Hey―”

“She got you there, son,” Declan chuckled as he thumped a sulky Aiden on the back. “But you two should really head home. It looks like a nasty storm is brewing.”

Kai quickly scanned the skies, catching sight of clouds on the horizon. They were rolling towards Ignacia village at a quick pace, overcoming the sunset and darkening the sky. He’d already gotten soaked once, he wasn’t keen on having that happen again.

“Let’s hurry home,” he warned his sister as he reached a hand across the stall towards the muscular store owner. “Thank you, Declan, it was good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too, kid,” he chuckled, firmly clasping the hand in a hearty handshake. “Come hunting with us sometime when business slows down.”

“Sure thing,” Kai grinned, moving on quickly towards his best friend. “Aiden, see you around.”

“See you,” Aiden smirked as he grasped his hand and the two bumped each other. “I’ll pop by tomorrow and see how bad that sword really is.”

“It’ll be fixed by then,” Kai rolled his eyes, raising his hand in a gesture of farewell to Lauren who was preoccupied with hugging Nya. “Bye Auntie. Take care.”

“Bye Kai,” she smiled sweetly at him, pointing a stern finger his way. “Your sister consented to having dinner here tomorrow. You’d better come.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Hurry on home then,” she shooed them with her hands, “scram.”

Kai didn’t need a second warning. He and Nya tore through town, passing by other shops whose owners were swiftly packing up their goods and stalls in anticipation of the coming storm. Doors were closed, and lamps were lit, a comforting, homey contrast to the approaching darkness.

As they made it out onto the stretch of road that curved between the rice fields, Kai flinched as a large drop of rain splashed onto his forehead. He turned his head to look behind, the sight causing his face to scrunch up in worry. Those clouds looked like bad news. Not only did they completely block out the remaining sunlight of the day, they had an ugly purple-green tinge to them. It was going to be a dangerous one.

“Race you!” Kai yelled towards his sister, picking up his pace. Nya met his challenge, and the two sprinted towards the safety of their house.

\----------

A flash of blinding light filled the bedroom, grabbing Kai’s attention. He saw lightning fork outside, followed by a tremendous burst of thunder. It rolled and raged, booming across the valley as a barrage of rain pelted the small village. However, within the warm, dry confines of his home, Kai had a hard time finding room for worry, especially now that he was full from a hot meal. The storm would pass soon enough.

He swung his legs up onto his bed, his eyes drooping shut even before his head hit the pillow. The smith sleepily contemplated how tomorrow would be the day he’d finish his sword project. He’d whip it into shape in no time. That’d show everyone how great a smith he could be...

His soft breathing was interrupted by a snore, all thoughts of becoming the best blacksmith lost as he entered the world of dreams. Dreams of him, Aiden, and Nya all happily tramping about the fields as they had in the past, as if nothing stood in their way. Nothing...except the monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, the first chapter! Hopefully it added some flavor to Kai's background.  
> School is coming, but hopefully I'll get another chapter out next week. Fingers crossed.  
> Hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear your comments. :)  
> -Wild


	2. Of Monsters and Mayhem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai wakes from a nightmare, only to be plunged into another one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Wild here... I feel so bad right now...  
> SO, first of all, I apologize for not posting when I said I would. Some stuff did come up (school, grr) and I was inevitably going to post late, but I could have put in more effort to post sooner late than later late... being an avid fanfic reader myself, I understand the frustration when someone doesn't publish the next chapter of their fanfic when they say they will... "you've become the very thing you swore to destroy!" (lol)  
> ANYWAYS, I'm finally back with the next chapter. Hopefully it's worth the extended wait. *sweat drops*  
> Thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me despite my inconsistent writing. And as always, thank you to my beta Phoenixfyre_7, let's slay this semester!  
> Enjoy!

Kai woke with a start, his disorientated senses momentarily confusing him. Nya and Aiden, he hadn’t been able to save them. The monsters...they had got them. He had been completely helpless to stop it from happening. Taking a shuddering breath, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to slow his racing heart. The childish nightmare was over, but he could still hear their screams. This aftereffect did nothing to help calm his shot nerves.

“Kai!”

He jumped, almost falling face-first onto the floor. The blacksmith haphazardly untangled himself from his blankets and raced towards the window, sweat breaking out on his brow. Those screams weren’t echoes inside his head.

“Kai! Nya! Wake up, dang it, before I break this door down!”

He threw open the glass panes, gripping the trimming as he stuck his head out the window. Rain lashed his face and lightning flashed around him, jolting him fully awake. Despite the pounding storm, he still leaned out as far as he dared, straining his eyes into the darkness below. Lightning flashed again, outlining a face haunted with the shadows of the night.

“Aiden?” He shouted, slicking his damp hair out of his face. “What the heck are you—”

“The village!” His friend frantically interrupted him, his eyes wider than Kai had ever seen them. “It’s been overrun!”

Kai’s head jerked up as he focused on the village. He blinked away the rain threatening to drip into his eyes, trying to pick out the hazy outline of his hometown. However, it was impossible to see what was happening down there.

A shrill sound pierced through the storm, out of place among the deep roaring from the thunder. Kai gripped the windowsill as shivers ran up and down his spine. That was a scream.

“Hold on!” He yelled down to Aiden, not waiting for a reply as he slammed the window shut.

Kai tore across the room and snatched up his day-old clothes, forcing them on over his sleepwear. Vaulting over his bed, he threw open his bedroom door and raced down the hall, refusing to decelerate even on the corners. He barely caught himself from jumping down the whole flight of stairs. He didn’t have time for caution. Something was happening. Something bad.

Dancing around the counter and various racks, Kai finally made it to the storefront and threw open the sliding double doors.

“Finally,” Aiden dashed inside, braid whipping behind him, “you’ve gotta come right now, there’s no time.”

“Hold it,” Kai eyed the bow clutched firmly in his friend’s hands. “What is it? What’s overrun the village?”

Aiden looked back outside, his wide eyes focused on what was beyond the darkness. “Monsters.”

Kai froze, his dream the first thing to come to mind. He quickly shook his head, frowning. That wasn’t real; it was only a dream.

“Monsters?” Kai asked to clarify. He must be reading too far into what Aiden was trying to say.

“They’re these large, skeletal creatures!” The ginger gestured wildly, keeping an arrow notched on his bow. “They came out of nowhere, and they’re armed with weapons! I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but they are down there and they’re terrorizing the village, and dad sent me up here to—”

Kai tuned out his friend’s rambling, stalking past him towards the many racks filling the shop. Wasting no time, he snatched up a dou, sliding it over his head and adjusting the armor over his torso. Honestly, he really couldn’t believe what Aiden was saying. Monsters? There must be a mistake.

But, the village  _ was  _ in danger. That was all that mattered to him.

“What’s going on?” A new, sleepy voice joined in, its sound echoing from upstairs

Kai didn’t bother looking up from his work, already aggravated by how long it was taking him to don his armor.

“Sorry,” erratic footsteps sounded near the door. “I’m going to go back and help.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Kai promised Aiden, slipping between more shelfs. “Be careful out there.”

“Will do!” The voice tapered off, leaving him alone in the shop. Not for long though.

“Kai?” He chanced a glance at the stairs, catching sight of Nya’s perplexed expression. “Is everything alright?”

“The village is in trouble,” he answered curtly, grabbing a kabuto off a shelf and slipping it onto his head.

“What?”

He ignored her outburst, rushing purposefully towards another shelf. One last necessary piece of equipment before he could head out.

“Kai, what kind of trouble?”

He groaned as he snatched up a curved bagua dao sword, sensing his sister’s probing gaze. There was not time to explain.

“Just stay here!” He avoided looking at her and dashed towards the double sliding doors, bracing himself for the rain.

“Kai!”

If Nya said anything else, it was lost to Kai as he burst into the storm. Rain beat down on him and thunder rolled from above, his armor amplifying the sounds. His sharp breathing mixed with this weird echo, and the effect was tumultuous and intense.

The path was slick with mud, and it was all he could do to stop himself from hurling headfirst down the decline. The thunder didn’t help either, as it caused the ground to shake with each lightning strike. It was weird though, how constantly the muddied ground vibrated underneath him…

… and how the rumbling didn’t stop even when there had been no lightening…

Kai jerked to a halt, peering warily into the darkness. The noise continued to grow, encouraging him to slide into a defensive stance. He didn’t have to see the source of the rumbling to know the cause. It couldn’t be anything else other than the reason he was out here in this storm with a sword in hand.

It was as if the figments of his imagination had seeped out of his dreams and had snuck into the place he called home. Strange vehicles came within his line of vision, their white protective coverings and decorative skulls standing out eerily against the darkened surroundings. Their large tires tread easily through the mud, squashing all plants and crops in their path. Torches sporting purple flames were attached haphazardly to the motorbike creations, adding a cold, unearthly glow to the already frightening scene.

However, nothing was as terrifying as the creatures manning the vehicles. The sight of them made Kai’s blood run cold. Their appearance could only be described as skeletal, their pale skin almost matching the armored plates on the motorbikes. The creatures were brandishing an assortment of crudely-made weapons, pointing them in his direction as they let out guttural croaks that mixed with the revving of the vehicles and the thundering storm. Aiden was right; this was a living nightmare.

Aiden. Kai steadied his footing in the mud, his thoughts quickly jumping to his friend. Aiden had been just minutes ahead of him. He’d made it back to the village before these creatures had set out towards the blacksmith shop, right?

These thoughts were shoved to the side. He had to focus on this first. Once he defeated these creatures, he’d be free to check up on the status of the village. His grip tightened on his bagua dao. For these monsters’ sakes, not a hair better be harmed on his friends’ heads.

The blacksmith had fully been expecting the monsters to try to plow him down. However, they dove off of their vehicles, growling and clacking their jaws together as they rushed him. The blacksmith-in-training defensively raised his sword, trying to gauge which one would strike first. He was ready to give them a taste of his blade.

One of the skeletal creatures on his right broke off from the main group, wildly swinging its sword in a show of intimidation. Kai noted the makeshift chest armor it wore; the metal was wrangled and crudely hammered together, as if it was made with no design in mind.

Kai took the full front of the attack, grunting as he locked blades with the creature. As he tried to pressure his opponent without slipping in the mud, he caught sight of its face. Kai felt his breath hitch, unnerved by the sight of glowing red orbs floating in the creature’s hollow eye sockets. This creature was truly from the supernatural.

Using the monster’s momentum against it, he parried a haphazard strike and stepped to the side, smirking as his opponent lost its balance and fell forward. The smirk disappeared as a crack interrupted the steady patter of the rain. The creature growled pathetically, holding its own broken rib in its hand as if it didn’t know what to do with it.

Kai was at a loss of words. These creatures didn’t just look skeletal, they were literal skeletons. How were they even alive? Was there even a power that existed that could resurrect the dead? He grit his teeth, steadying himself against the next wave. Dead or undead, these things were still attacking him. He had no choice but to face them.

The blacksmith quickly realized he was at a disadvantage when the skeletons decided to come at him more than one at a time. Kai knocked one skeleton to the side before whirling around to barely stop the blade of another. These frenzied defensive maneuvers caused him to slip, destabilizing his stance. The mud was another thing working against him. If it caused him to lose his balance and fall over, that’d be it. The skeletons would be all over him in a second.

Just when this thought had occurred to him, two of the creatures swung their swords at him at the same time. He took the brunt of both attacks, groaning under the doubled weight. Kai pushed back as best he could, but this brought about the opposite effect of him sliding backwards. Soon, he’d be flat on his back. Kai gritted his teeth, trying harder to plant his feet in the muck.

Suddenly, lightning flashed around him and the pressure simultaneously vanished. Pitching forward due to the lack of resistance, Kai looked hurriedly around, searching for his opposition. His eyes widened as he found his adversaries scattered across the muddied ground, effectively put out of action. 

A strained grunt caused him to whirl to his left, its higher pitch causing his heart to clench uncomfortably. He groaned aloud, his suspicions confirmed by a flurry of red. Nya had joined the fight, her dress whipping around her legs as she dealt out strikes with a bamboo bo staff.

“I thought I told you to stay back!” Kai growled. Just this one time, could she have listened to him? It was a lot harder to protect her when she purposefully put herself in harm’s way.

“And what,” she scoffed, flipping away from a skeleton and ending up back-to-back with him,“let you have all the fun?”

The smith groaned. This was no time for jokes. He really wanted to snap at her and send her back into the shop. However, there was one problem with that: the skeletons had seen her. If she gave in to his demands and returned to the house, the creatures would simply follow her.

“Fine,” he gritted his teeth, slicing through another one of the monsters, “but stay close.”

His sister replied by dashing forward and knocking the head clean off one of the murderous warriors. Hoping to high heavens that maybe his sister would listen to him  _ this  _ time, he continued his onslaught of the monsters.

While their unearthly appearance had momentarily startled him, Kai quickly realized that the skeletons’ fighting skills were sub-par. They relied on their numbers to win their battles. Bolstered by this realization, he focused on attacking one-on-one, which quickly proved effective. He smirked as his deadly sword wrought destruction among them. They should have thought twice before deciding to challenge him.

As he locked blades with another opponent, yells and hollers momentarily distracted him. Men from the village were crossing the fields, coming towards them with weapons and tools in hand. Roaring like an animal, Declan lead the charge, a large hunting spear in hand. Their arrival bolstered Kai since it meant that the village was currently safe. 

Even as his skeletal opponent wrangled with him, the creature reeled away, a large arrow embedded in his skull. A quick glance to the side had him rolling his eyes as Aiden came prancing towards him.

“I had him right where I wanted him. You didn’t have to butt in.”

“What, are you upset I stole your thunder?” The ginger stuck his tongue out at the blacksmith, whipping out another arrow from the quiver strapped to his back.

“Yeah right,” Kai shoved him roughly away. “Why don’t you go find a nice fence post for your target practice and leave the fighting to the real men?”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Aiden spun away, notching the arrow. “Fine, I’ll leave you alone. Have fun with your unsightly slashing and hacking.”

Kai ignored his friend’s jab, using the short respite to search around the battlefield. He strained his neck to catch sight of that flurry of red, the telltale sign of his sister. He saw her across the road, her nimble dodging and weaving bringing her closer to where Declan was. Kai breathed a sigh of relief, glad Nya was close to someone he trusted. Still, so much for “stay close.”

A heavy thud caused him to whirl around, sword raised in preparation to take on his next opponent. His brow furrowed at the skeleton standing before him. The warrior easily had a half-foot vantage over him. His opponent seemed fully aware of this height difference, the twisted smile on his face betraying his confidence.

Kai chuckled and gestured towards the skeleton in a challenging manner. Even if his opponent was taller, he’d still defeat him. He’d adapted to the fighting style of these lousy warriors; he had the obvious advantage.

“Haven’t you heard the saying?” He provoked the monster. “‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall.’”

To his surprise, the creature also chuckled, a gravely sound that was unsettling. As Kai looked on, the creature showcased his weaponry, bringing the smith’s attention to a detail that made his stomach clench. This warrior had four arms, and each was holding a large dagger. The weapons’ jagged claw blades flashed dangerously in the purple torchlight as his opponent twirled them expertly around. Kai instantly knew that he wasn’t dealing with just another stupid grunt. This skeleton’s confident posture and deft weapon handling demonstrated the experience of someone of a higher rank.

Kai hurriedly backed up, trying to put distance between them as he formulated a plan. The creature saw through his ploy, immediately charging him with a strike from its daggers on the left. Kai had little option but to parry, reeling backwards from the force of the blow. The skeleton wasted no time, immediately striking with the other pair of daggers. Kai again hurried to block, losing more ground under the aggressive swing.

“Too slow,” Kai’s eyes widened as the skeleton spoke, gravely words that stuck his hair on end. These monsters could talk? Knowing that these creatures were capable of speech made them all the more terrifying.

The unrelenting attack continued with the smith barely evading each time. The idle time he had spent training with weapon handling paled in comparison to hardened experience. Soon, Kai’s muscles burned, the sword and armor paired with the strain of the day’s blacksmithing weighing down on him. He needed to land a blow to get a break, but he could barely defend himself as it was. Gritting his teeth, he fought onwards, steeling himself for this match of endurance.

Suddenly, the monstrous skeleton lunged forward with all four daggers. Panicking, Kai swung as well, hoping to block all of them at once. The clang of steel rang out and he drew back, preparing for the next attack. He stumbled, hand grasping at thin air. His bagua dao was firmly lodged between his opponent’s weapons, wrangled from his hands. His eyes widened at his predicament.

With another grating cackle, the skeleton sent the smith’s only weapon flying into the air. In the instant that Kai was distracted by it’s ascent, the creature kicked him straight in his gut. The dou absorbed most of the force, but it wasn’t enough to help him keep his balance. He was thrown to the ground, mud splattering everywhere and seeping into the gaps of his armor.

Head weighed down by his kabuto, Kai could barely keep the advancing skeleton in his line of sight. He struggled to extract himself from the mud, knowing he had no chance on the ground. However, the armor meant to protect was now a burden, forcing him to remain at a disadvantage.

The skeleton’s sneer mocked the smith’s efforts. The creature began to twirl its daggers around to flaunt its skills and signal Kai’s impending doom. The weapons’ murderous dance was enhanced by the torches, which soaked the blades with a deadly purple gleam.

A flash from Kai’s left caused him to momentarily take his eyes off of his opponent’s show. His spirits rose as he realized that not more than a yard away lay his sword, the blade reflecting the torch light. Kai couldn’t get out of the mud, but he could turn these odds in his favor.

Trying to keep the skeleton in his sights, he determinedly scrambled backwards, using the muck to help him slide.

“C’mon,” he coaxed the sword, stretching as far as his arm could go to try and reach the blade with his fingertips. “Almost there…”

A sharp pain erupted in his outstretched arm, forcing an involuntary gasp to escape him. His eyes darted upwards. His opponent stood over him, one foot planted firmly on his elbow joint. Red eyes glinting viciously, the skeleton raised all four daggers.

“No,” Kai growled, bracing himself against the pain as he continued his efforts to secure his weapon. He couldn’t quit. Now when he still needed to protect Nya.

Light flashed overhead, much brighter than the torch glow. It whirled past him, and the pressure on his elbow simultaneously disappeared. Blinking to rid himself of the sudden light spots dancing before him, he noticed that his opponent was no longer leering over him. Straining to lift his head, he quickly caught sight of the strange light a few yards away. Its appearance caused his eyes to narrow.

“What the…”

The mass of light was spinning in place, its golden highlights outlining a funnel shape. To Kai, it looked like a mini, glowing tornado. As he looked on, he caught sight of the large skeleton, who was raising his weapons against the whirling light. The tornado-like object swooped forward and struck the creature several times. All the smith could do was watch the strange occurrence.

Suddenly, the light dissipated. In its place stood a figure, a person with a white kimono and a beard to match. Kai’s eyes widened in recognition.

“It’s you!” He struggled to get up and approach the weird old guy from before.

His call and efforts seemed to go unnoticed by the man, whose intense gray eyes were trained on the skeleton. Both of them were locked in a showdown, neither willing to break eye contact first.

“Sensei Wu,” the skeleton addressed the old man, his jaw rattling quicker in his agitation, “your Spinjitzu looks rusty.”

The old man gripped his staff firmly in both hands. “Nothing like bone to sharpen its edge, Samukai,” he replied crisply, crouching into a defensive position.

Kai looked back and forth at the two, fear tightening his chest. This old man couldn’t possibly take on that creature. This ‘Sensei Wu’ may have some sort of weird magic trick up his sleeve, but the skeleton was a born and bred killing machine. He didn’t stand a chance.

The smith struggled even harder to rise, determined to take his place against his opponent once more. His efforts attracted the attention of the large skeleton, whose lips twisted into another cunning smile. Kai increased his efforts to stand in response.

However, the skeleton ignored him once more, throwing all four daggers at the old man with a gravely yell. Kai opened his mouth to shout out a warning, but it died on his lips as the guy moved into action. The bearded stranger slid smoothly to the side, daggers flying harmlessly by. This guy was nimble for an old person.

A crunching noise punctured the steady patter of rain. The four daggers that had been meant for their opponent were now firmly lodged in a water tower post, their momentum tearing it out of the ground. The three remaining support beams groaned under the additional weight, their triangular position unqualified to stabilize the tower. The whole structure began to tip, casting a shadow over the young smith.

That’s when it dawned on him. Those daggers hadn’t been aimed at the old guy; that part had simply been a distraction. The skeleton had been aiming for the water tower from the start.

Kai flailed with his arms and legs, clawing and kicking at the mud in an attempt to slide backwards. He had just been fighting a horde of undead creatures. A water tower wasn’t going to end him.

“Ninjago!”

Kai felt the ground underneath him disappear as golden light whipped around him. He seemed to float along as a comfortable warmth enveloped him. It momentarily distracted him from the soreness in his muscles and the strains of the fight. However, as suddenly as it had come, the light disappeared. Gravity welcomed him with open arms as he crashed face first into the mud. Spluttering and wiping the grim out of his eyes, he heaved himself upwards, finally attaining a sitting position. A sudden dizzy spell hit him, but he shook it off, eyes sweeping the battlefield.

The old man crouched a foot away from him, the weather conditions finally taking a toll on his pure white kimono as mud splattered the hem. Kai knew that the light trick had been his work, that he had saved him. Kai huffed at that aggravating fact, glancing towards the object that had almost spelled out his doom. The wreckage of the water tower lay several yards to his right, the wood sticking up at odd angles from the ground. He could have been under there right now, bones shattered and wood skewered through him. Guess he could thank the magic light for avoiding that disaster.

“Garmadon says take the girl!”

Kai twisted in the direction of the all-too-familiar rasp of a voice. His skeletal opponent had abandoned the fight and was now mounted on a revving monster truck. He was urgently gesturing below him, eyes intently trained on something in the battlefield.

The smith didn’t have a chance to see what had caught the skeleton’s attention before a large grappling device shot out of the truck, soaring through the air towards the fields on the other side of the road. From his position, he couldn’t see where it landed, but he could hear. Kai froze, his ears detecting a high-pitched cry. His blood ran cold. He couldn’t see, but he didn’t need to. He knew.

“NYA!” Kai leapt to his feet, immediately falling back down from the weight of his soaking clothes and muddied armor. He scrambled upwards again, using his momentum to propel himself towards the monster truck stationed on the road. The grappling device had been reeled back onto the vehicle by its chain, but now there was a figure trapped between its claws. Her red cheongsam contrasting vibrantly against the white truck, Nya thrashed around in the device, crying out as her efforts yielded no results. These pleas for help tore at him, urging him onwards.

“Nya!” Kai whipped his head around to see Aiden suddenly beside him, his friend joining him in his scramble towards the truck. Fear was etched all over the young hunter’s face. Kai might have mirrored this feeling if not for another, more powerful emotion that overrode everything else. An intense surge of rage.

Another yell lashed out of his mouth, seconds before the truck revved louder. Its tires began to spin in the mud.

“Kai!”

He just barely heard his sister’s call, just barely was able to lock eyes with her. However, that moment spoke louder than both their shouts. In her eyes, he could see her terror, her fear. And… her strength. Her encouragement that everything would be alright. His anger shot past boiling point. Why was she the one comforting him?!

The monster truck suddenly took off, veering across the fields followed by its entourage of motorbikes. Kai gave chase, ignoring the villagers who had flung themselves out of the way of the oncoming vehicles, ignoring Aiden running beside him. Nya was the only one who mattered right now. He grit his teeth, pushing himself to greater speeds.

“Kai! Aiden!” A muscular arm wrapped around him, almost tackling him to the ground. “Hey, you’ve got to hold on and _ — _ ”

“Let me go!” The ginger thrashed about and Kai did the same.

“I’ve gotta go after her!” His feet slid around in the mud as he tried to release himself from Declan’s hold. “I’ve gotta save her!”

“Hold on!” The man repeated more urgently. “You’ve got to stop _ — _ ”

“I’m going to save her!” Kai lurched forward, bringing him, Aiden, and Declan to their knees. “I’m going to _ — _ ”

“Get a grip you two!” Kai gasped as the arm tightened around him. “There’s no point in running, alright? Not now. For now… she’s gone.”

The arm loosened around him, but he continued to cling to it. Even though the pressure on his lungs lessened, his chest continued to tighten, his throat aching to call out one more time. But it was no use. The gleam of white armor, the glare of purple torches, all of it had disappeared into the night. Along with his sister.

He felt his friend’s body shudder beside him, heard his sobs break through the patter of rain. Kai bowed his head, the kabuto helmet sliding to partially cover his face. He scrunched his burning eyes, but he couldn’t stop the tears from coming. Even if the helmet or rain hadn’t been there to hide it, he still would not have been able to stop. Not when what mattered most to him had slipped through his fingers. No, the crying would not stop.

Nya was gone. The monsters had got her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kai. He can be a such a cocky, hot-headed jerk, but he didn't deserve any of that.  
> For next update, I'll hopefully get it done by early October. Hopefully end of September, but no promises on account of school.  
> Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to post any thoughts or questions in the comments!  
> -Wild


	3. Old Wives' Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nya is gone. Distraught, Kai looks for an outlet for his anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, I did get the next chapter up before October! I guess it kind of makes up for my late post last time. XP  
> Thanks to all of you for sticking with this story! And another thanks to those who left kudos! You don't know how ecstatic I was every time I saw a new notification that someone left kudos, it's insane! XD Thank you!!!

“Over here! Pass a towel over here!”

“You there, start dispersing soup among the children!”

“Do we have anymore tea? Is there anyone making more tea?”

Voices were thrown across the room, joining the drone of frenzied conversations. Everyone from the village was packed into the ancestral shrine. The soaked warriors were quickly attended to by the women. Hot tea and soup made their way around the room, doing double duty of fighting back the cold and comforting those in tears. One group of women worked tirelessly in a sectioned corner, deftly tending to the few casualties that had occurred.

This was where Kai was currently sitting, but he took no notice of the happenings around him. A towel hung loosely over his bowed head, flattening his usually styled hair and shadowing his face. One hand clutched a bag of ice, subconsciously applying it to a large bruise that spread below his chest. He would have thrown it to the side ages ago, but he didn’t want to deal with his caretaker’s nagging. He didn’t want to deal with anyone.

His other fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly, each action causing pain as his blistered skin stretched. The pain didn’t phase him though. No, not this physical pain. It was  _ nothing _ compared to the turmoil that was running rampant within him. 

_ I couldn’t do anything.  _ His hand froze in a clench.  _ I couldn’t do ANYTHING. I couldn’t run fast enough, I couldn’t defeat that creature before he nabbed her, I couldn’t save her… Nya… _

He slammed his fist into the ground, ignoring the repercussion it had on his bruised body. The pressing regret and anger continued to build. He was the only one to blame for this mess. Not the villagers, not Aiden. He couldn’t even blame Declan, who had been closest to Nya during the battle. If Kai hadn’t been able to reach her, the man he looked up to and respected wouldn’t have been able to either. The blame was all on him. Nobody else could have stopped what had happened.

His fist, already raised to strike the ground again, froze inches from impact. He leapt to his feet, the bruising around his ribs almost doubling him over. However, Kai pushed through the pain, gritting his teeth as he snatched up his armor to free up space for others.

He strode across the room, barely dodging the people he passed. Through his guilt and rage induced haze, he had eyes for no one and nothing. Nothing except a single door.

Kai threw open the door, ignoring the bang as it hit the wall. There was no time to respect others’ property. Not when his entire focus was trained on the person sitting calmly in the middle of the room.

“You could have done something,” Kai growled, his low voice carrying his anger and guilt.

A sigh echoed throughout the tiny room as the figure slowly rose to a standing position and turned. Wizened gray eyes met blazing cognac eyes. The glance caused the person to shake his head.

“I told you,” Sensei Wu jabbed his staff in the direction of the armor clutched in both of Kai’s hands, “useless. Slowed you down, didn’t it?”

“You could have done something!” Kai threw his kabuto helmet at the old man, wildly missing and hitting the opposite wall. “You’ve got that weird magic that could have saved Nya! Your little light freak show, your— your twistitzu baloney—“

“Spinjitzu.”

“Whatever!” He yelled over the calm interjection, storming over to stand in front of the offender. “You…” his voice lowered to a growl, “you did nothing. You were right there and you did nothing.”

“I saved you,” the old man stated, eyes locked unflinchingly on Kai’s.

The smith stared back, unabashedly and unforgivingly. “I would have rather you had saved her than saved me.”

“Would she have preferred that?”

That question slammed into Kai, causing him to take a step back. Images flashed through his mind of Nya sobbing over his broken, bleeding body with no one but Declan and his family there to comfort her. The skeletons would have been gone, but so would he. Nya would have been alone.

He shook his head, jolting himself out of that imaginative scenario. That wasn’t something he was going to think about. He’d rather face the present, no matter how frustrating it was.

Storming around the annoyingly calm old man, he roughly yanked his dou back on as he headed over towards where his helmet lay on the ground.

“What are you going to do now?”

The quiet question caused Kai to scoff. “I’m going after her.”

“Where they go, a mortal cannot.”

Kai straightened with a frown, glancing over towards Sensei Wu. He was surprised to see a stern expression on the wrinkled face. In fact, it almost looked grim.

“Think again,” Kai returned with a huff. “It may be raining, but those deep tire treads will be easy enough to follow. I’ll find them come early morning.”

“You’ll follow them all the way to the outskirts of hell?”

“What’s up with your riddles and metaphorical sayings?” Kai rounded on him. “If you’re trying to tell me something, spit it out. I’m on a tight schedule, old man.”

He was sick of this guy’s hints and aloof behavior. This type of scrutiny made him feel like he was being treated as a child on a tantrum. He was about ready to use his sword to shave a few inches off that ridiculous beard.

“I’m not speaking in riddles,” Sensei Wu shook his head. “The opponent that almost killed you, that was Samukai, King of the Underworld and leader of the Skulkin.”

“The Underworld?” Kai scoffed.

“Yes,” the old man stared off into space, seemingly unaffected by Kai’s attitude, “Samukai is on the move. Or so it would appear… if he’s taking orders from Lord Garmadon, then things are far worse than I feared…”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Kai roughly poked the old man in the chest. “ _ My sister _ is missing! And now you decide to spout off about someone called ‘Lord Garmadon?’ Who is he? What does he have to do with all this? If he’s the one calling the shots, why did he order them to kidnap my sister?”

“Why?” The sharp retort caused Kai to take a step back. “Why would someone take such drastic measures, you ask? What could be so important that someone would throw his lot in with the living dead?” The man’s voice lowered to a whisper, and Kai found himself holding his breath to catch what he said. “What’s so important...how about the whole of Ninjago itself?”

\----------

“So, let me get this straight…”

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t help it, not after hearing a tale like that.

“So this Lord Garmadon is after some ancient, powerful weapons that his dad made from examining the earth, and sent his minions here to retrieve a map that will help him? A map that my dad was hiding?”

Sensei Wu slowly nodded. Kai fell silent once more, reflecting on what he had just heard. He almost didn’t believe it, especially when he heard his father was involved. Why did his dad decide to get caught up in this madness? Suddenly, another part of the story clicked.

“So…” Kai’s eyes narrowed as he looked the old man up and down, “you’re the… younger brother? Of Lord Garmadon?”

Sensei Wu sighed, his head bowing further. Kai huffed agitatedly, taking that as a ‘yes.’ Was it too much to ask for a straightforward answer?

“Well, nice story” Kai stood back up on his feet and performed a lousy bow. “It was touching, really. But, in case you forgot, those skeletons kidnapped my sister. My only concern is getting her back. Thank you for wasting my time, good luck getting back that map you came for.”

“I didn’t come for the map.”

“Here we go…”

“I came for you.”

“Okay,” he groaned, rolling his eyes towards the sensei, “let’s get this straight. I’m not going to help—”

“It is true,” Kai rolled his eyes as the old man ignored him, “I can’t face my brother alone. At least not while he has Samukai doing his bidding in this mortal realm. And once he has acquired all the weapons, no one can stop him. The weapons must be located and collected before Garmadon can reach them.”

“And you want me as your errand boy,” Kai raised an eyebrow, “sorry, I already told you no.”

“No,” the sensei slammed his staff on the ground, drawing Kai’s attention despite himself. “If I needed a simple errand boy, I could choose anyone. You are much more than that.

“You…” Sensei Wu started off slow, emphasizing the importance of what he was saying, “you are special. A rare power lies within you. A fire that burns bright, that flows through you. It fuels your motivation, your temper, and your confidence.

“I could teach you how to use it” the old man snapped his eyes open, sending his staff in motion until it was pointed directly at Kai’s chest. “I can take you on as my student, teach you how to harness your power. I can teach you how to become a Spinjitzu Master.” Sensei Wu rapped on Kai’s armor to emphasize these words.

“Right,” Kai muttered, swatting the sensei’s staff to the side, “I’m flattered that you think I’m all that, I really do. However, my goal is to save my sister. If I follow you, there’s no guarantee of that. So thanks, but I think it’s best if I don’t get involved in your sibling rivalry.”

Kai readjusted his helmet, getting ready to leave. He might head back to the shop first, grab some fresh armor, pack some clothes and food—

A sharp shout rang from behind. Before he could turn around, something slammed into his back, throwing him to the ground. The heavy object landed on his back before he could retaliate, flattening him effectively against the ground.

“As I said,” a voice barked above him, laughter laced through the words, “clunky and slow. As you are now, you’re not even ready to face my pinky toe.”

Kai groaned, trying to move but to no avail. The old man was heavier than he looked, and his armor didn’t help his case either.

“I can train you to be stronger.” Kai huffed angrily, unable to do anything but listen. “Come with me, let me train you to be a Spinjitzu Master. Once you can control the fire that burns within you, you’ll be strong enough to save your sister and face the one holding her captive. You’ll be able to face… Lord Garmadon.”

\----------

“You can’t be serious!”

“I wish I wasn’t, but there you have it.”

Kai rolled his eyes. What was he doing? He had agreed to Sensei Wu’s plan, but more for the opportunity to set out after Nya quicker. And of course, Aiden had followed him all the way back to “Four Weapons” and had wheedled the truth out of him. As Kai had expected, his friend wasn’t taking it well.

“I can’t believe this!” Aiden threw up his hands, hot on Kai’s tail as the smith hurried around gathering supplies. “You’re going to believe what a crazy, old man told you, and follow him so that he can “train” you to wield some hocus-pocus power and maybe save your sister?”

“Basically.”

“Are you even hearing yourself?” Kai felt his arm being grabbed and was whirled around to face a frantic Aiden. “Kai, don’t follow him. Just wait a day or two for everyone to recover. We’ll set up a search party and go after those skeletons”

“By then it will be too late,” Kai ducked under Aiden’s outstretched arm. “I’ll lose track of them. And by the time I find them, who knows what will have happened to Nya.”

“Kai!” The blacksmith-in-training heard the quick patter of feet as Aiden followed behind again. “Don’t do this! This is the village’s problem to solve, not something to leave in the hands of a guy who we know nothing about.”

“Wrong,” Kai whirled around, startling Aiden to a stop before the two of them collided. “This is  _ my _ problem.” He jabbed a thumb towards his chest. “I’m the one responsible for fixing it, so I’ve decided that this is the best course of action.”

“I can’t believe…”

Kai left Aiden alone with his muttering, impatiently stuffing food into a satchel. He knew no one would take his sudden announcement of leaving well. Heck, he was still wondering how he agreed to this. That didn’t matter though. All that mattered was to focus on training so that he could be qualified to rescue Nya. He’d get her back.

“Then...if you’re not going to listen to reason...let me come with you.”

“What?”

“I can’t stop you,” Aiden slid into Kai’s field of view, arms folded, “you’re way too stubborn. But, let me come with you. I’ll train too, I’ll get better and help you find Nya. Just―”

“No.”

“Why not?” Aiden threw his hands out, a desperate frown on his face. “You need all the help you can get!”

“I don’t need help,” Kai gruffly rolled up a blanket, the action allowing him to avoid eye contact. “The village is still reeling from its attack, everyone needs help putting things back to normal. They need someone dependable to offer support.” Kai shoved the blanket into the satchel. “For that role, I guess you’ll do.”

“No, I won’t!” Aiden stepped closer, forcing Kai to face him. “There’s plenty of others to help out here, like my mom and dad. They can handle it, so just let me―”

“Not a chance.”

“C’mon!”

“You’ve got to stay and help!”

“No!” Kai was startled as Aiden grabbed the front of his shirt. “Don’t leave me behind! First Nya, and now you’re leaving too? There will be no one left!”

Kai’s eyes grew wide. His surprised expression caused Aiden to loosen his grip on his shirt, his head bowing until his expression was hidden from view.

“You’re all I’ve got,” Aiden’s muffled, husky voice barely reached Kai’s ears. “You and Nya...you’re my brother and sister. If you go and never come back...I’ll be alone. Please...don’t leave me behind.”

Kai hesitated for a few seconds; he didn’t know what to say. Kai had always had Nya by his side. Aiden didn’t have a sibling to fall back on. His friend would have no one to turn to if he left.

But there wasn’t a choice.

“I’m sorry, Aiden,” Kai stepped around his friend, “This is something I must do alone. Say bye to your parents for me.”

“Please…” Aiden’s voice sounded so empty, it caused a wave of guilt to rise in the smith.

“I’m sorry,” Kai called out one last time before bursting into a sprint.

Aiden was the faster runner of the two; if he really wanted to come with Kai, he could easily keep up. There would be nothing he could do about that.  _ Please, Aiden _ , he trained his eyes ahead, not daring to look back,  _ stay here. Don’t follow me… _

_ \---------- _

“Right on time.”

Kai stumbled to a stop, huffing as he finally made it to the designated rendezvous of the Whistling Pines’ clearing in the nearby forest. Sensei Wu was seated on the ground, looking unperturbed as he sat drinking a steaming cup of tea. Where in the world he got that tea, Kai didn’t know and didn’t really care.

Not bothering to reply to the sensei’s remark, Kai whirled around, chest heaving as he searched the trees behind him for movement. No shadowy shapes drifted along. No snapping of sticks or squishing of mud penetrated the silence that had fallen with the retreat of the storm.

“Ready to go?”

Kai clenched his jaw and turned around. He had half-expected Aiden to follow him. In fact, he had almost hoped that he would, allowing them to stick together as they had done so far.

He gave a curt nod to Sensei Wu.

_ Not this time. Sorry Aiden... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And off Kai goes...leaving Aiden behind...*cue sad violin music*  
> Let's see, for the next update, maybe mid-October? No promises, I might end up posting closer to the end of October. But, who knows? XD  
> -Wild


	4. A Threat and a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai and his new mentor have begun their journey. However, as fate would have it, they run into some trouble along the way. Kai's frustration is sparked by a series of bad encounters, which seems to be just the beginning of Kai's struggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway between the middle and end of October, I'll accept it. ;)  
> Sooo, I was still working on the in's and out's of ao3, so if there were some weirdo end/beginning/any notes that popped up or seemed misplaced, my bad. It's fixed now. XD  
> This chapter is the first one not to follow the pilot episodes, so please excuse the dialogue and wording, I'm still learning. *sweat drops*  
> I know, I know, let's get on with it! Enjoy!

“No, I’m telling you now, I’m not going.”

“If we don’t travel there, you’ll never improve.”

“I don’t need some stupid place to train, right here is fine.”

“‘Right here’ is not an appropriate setting.”

“I don’t see the difference!” Kai rounded on the sensei. “If you recall, I’m only here to save my sister. The more time we waste traveling around, the more time she’s stuck as a prisoner. Just teach me what you need to on the go.”

“No,” Kai groaned at the old man’s firm rejection of his proposition. “Where we’re going, there are tools there that are key to training you. It’ll provide measures that I can’t administer here. These alone will bring out the potential I see within you.”

“Oh for the love of―” Kai clenched his fists, punching a nearby tree in passing.

It felt like Sensei Wu had made it his own personal mission to cause him as much trouble as possible. Everything had spiraled downhill since the first morning of their journey. After traveling much of the night before, they had decided to stop for a light meal before continuing onward. As they had been packing back up after their break, Sensei Wu had inspected the smith’s belongings and had immediately ordered him to unpack and leave behind all his armor and weapons. He had ignored all of Kai’s arguments, insisting that “they are not required for this journey” and would “only serve to slow us down.”

Was the old man insane? What if they came across a skeleton camp by accident? The sensei might have his Spinjitzu trick up his sleeve, but Kai only knew basic hand-to-hand combat, which was basically ineffective against swords. In that situation, the only time his weapons would not be necessary would be once he was dead. He’d made sure to drop the hint that he couldn’t save his sister if he was killed.

However, Sensei Wu would have none of it. He had forced Kai to throw out his armor and weapons before agreeing to take another step. Anxious to save his sister as soon as possible, he had had no choice but to do as he said.

Well, at least make an appearance of doing so. Kai nonchalantly brushed his hand against his side, which bumped against a concealed dagger tucked in his belt. He had hidden it there while the sensei had been meditating, and as far as he knew, the old guy had not realized it was there. Kai had agreed to follow Sensei Wu’s instructions, but only so far. If he was going to go on this dangerous journey, he was not doing it completely unarmed. That was where he drew the line.

“Ah, I was hoping we’d make it here before nightfall. We’re making good time.”

Kai jogged over to the the sensei, elbowing his way past the undergrowth. Peering over the old man, he was surprised to see a clearing sporting a small village. Small wooden houses - not unlike those in his own village - stood neatly side by side, their rows lining a single dusty path that ran through the center. Kai found it odd that the village formation was so linear; he was used to the random yet familiar clump of houses that made up the place he called home. It didn’t help that the lengthy shadows that were cast over the location as dusk quickly approached made it appear less hospitable.

“Are we going to pass through?” Kai asked, not bothering to look back at the sensei.

“We’re going to stop here for the night.”

“No,” Kai turned, glaring pointedly at the old man, “I can only take so much of this. We still have several hours of daylight left. The distance we can cover tonight—”

“—can be covered better tomorrow after we are well-rested.” Sensei Wu nodded.

“No! That’s not what I was going to say! Do you really not get how pressed we are for—”

_KABOOM._

Screams filled the air. Vibrations shook the ground. Kai turned to stare intently at the village. In the distance, he saw people fleeing down the road, away from where the loud noises were coming from. Kai felt a savage anger whell up in him; there was only one threat that he knew of that would act with such a loud, unruly attack.

“Skeletons,” he growled and dashed towards the village. He wasn’t sure if he heard Sensei Wu calling out to him or not, but he didn’t stop to see. He had had enough of the old man’s ramblings and advice. This situation required much quicker action.

The stretch between the forest and his destination felt like a hundred miles. Dust clouds poked above the village, teasing at damage that was already being wrought. The sight sickened Kai. Why were the skeletons ruining the lives of another peaceful village? They already had the map, they had no reason to be here. Unless… was there a golden weapon here? It seemed like an odd location to store an all-powerful weapon, but Kai could think of no other reason for those monsters to be here.

Kai burst onto the main road leading into the village, quickly scanning his surroundings. Families were fleeing down the path towards him, veering into their homes and slamming the doors behind them. The skeletons were nowhere in sight, but the loud noises continued to sound further in the village.

“C’mon,” he ran down the road, hand itching to pull out his hidden dagger, “show yourselves you dirty little—”

“Oomph!”

Kai felt the air get knocked out of him as something plowed into him. Windmilling his arms had no effect, and he fell ungracefully onto his back. His hand instinctively went for his dagger first, drawing it from its sheath as he got ready to face his first opponent. To his surprise, all he could see in front of him was a person in an over-large, dirty jacket.

“Ow,” a muffled voice floated his way, the person’s face turned away and hidden by a large hood, “are you kidding me...”

Although Kai was still confused by the lack of a threat, he noted that the person he had collided with was of short stature and had a gruff voice. So, it was a boy. No wonder he had rushed in such a haphazard manner in front of him.

The crouched individual crawled across the ground, muttering a string of curses as grubby hands scuffled through the dirt. Kai couldn’t help but stare. That wasn’t the response he had been expecting. Why wasn’t this boy rushing home, trying to rejoin his family?

Whatever. Kai scrambled to his feet, quickly brushing off his clothes to rid them of some of the dust. This wasn’t something he could worry about at the moment. There was still a threat out there that he had to take care of.

“Sorry,” Kai quickly threw the boy’s way.

Muttering followed his apology, which he tried to ignore. The individual should just be happy that he was trying to save… he stopped as he caught sight of something scattered across the ground. Several somethings. The objects glinted in the dirt, leaving a clear trail back towards a house whose door was swinging wildly open and closed.

“Hey!” He grabbed the back of the person’s clothes and forcefully spun them around. “What the heck are you doing?”

The boy’s eyes darted towards the ground, looking hungrily at the coins scattered on the ground. This confirmation caused Kai’s blood to boil.

“Are you serious?!” Kai shoved the person, sending him sprawling into the dust. “You’d steal from these people when their village is under attack and their lives are in danger?” He scowled as the person immediately began scooping up the money. “What kind of a heartless, greedy low-life are you?”

The boy never paused the retrieval of his stolen goods, but that did not stop him from shooting a glare up at the smith. Red-rimmed eyes met his own, their dull bitterness oozing their poison towards him.

“One that doesn’t care,” the person spit. With that, he leapt to his feet and scurried off down a narrow opening between two houses.

Temper flaring, Kai continued his charge down the road. So even here, in this little village, a ruffian had the audacity to steal from those in danger. Didn’t the selfish good-for-nothing know that what he was taking could be all that these people had? The red-rimmed, hate-filled eyes came to mind. Even if the person was aware of the poor standing of these people, it wouldn’t have mattered. Those types of people didn’t care.

“Kai.”

The blacksmith jumped, brandishing his dagger in his panic. A bo staff swatted it to the side, before rapping sharply on his hand.

“Ow!” Kai withdrew his outstretched arm, glaring at the bringer of his pain.

“You jumped right into the situation without assessing the danger,” Sensei Wu reprimanded.

“I did asses the situation!” Kai growled. “I added up all the facts; the enemy at the end of this road can only be the skeletons.”

“Wrong!” The blacksmith yelped again as the staff struck his other hand. “Did you truly listen? If you did, you’d notice that there’s no rumbling of vehicles.”

Sulkily rubbing his sore hands, Kai grudgingly listened. Beyond the clanging of metal and the occasional scream, there was no telltale sound of the revving of the skeletons’ vehicles.

“Maybe they parked them somewhere?” Kai suggested.

Sensei Wu solemnly shook his head. “I fear a different force is unleashing its power upon this village. One that is possibly more ominous. We must precede with more caution.”

Kai rolled his eyes, but couldn’t do anything but follow the sensei at a slowed jog. Didn’t this guy care about the village? The slower they took, the more people could be injured. He didn’t at all agree with the old man’s approach.

“...embrace the power…”

A deep voice echoed a few blocks away, causing Kai to go on high alert. Was that the threat? Quite possibly. Either way, it definitely wasn’t the raspy voice of a skeleton.

“There’s no point in running away. There’s nowhere left to hide, now that I’ve found you.”

Stalking past the last few blocks, Kai joined Sensei Wu in peering around the corner. They were faced with the village square, which was on a much smaller scale compared to Kai’s village. It lacked a fountain, and at the moment its original occupants. All except one.

A little girl was huddled against the front of a building, crying loudly and calling for her parents. The source of her distress towered over her. A tall man clad in black, with silver-white hair whipping around his sneering face. The contrast of his dark garb with his light skin complexion made his face appear pale and gaunt. The look was finished with the silver-white hair, which gave him an otherworldly appearance.

“So…” the man growled, “you’re still trying to hide it? No matter,” Kai’s heart jumped into his throat as the oppressor suddenly raised two giant hammers, “I’ll force you to show me!”

“No!” Kai began tearing across the courtyard toward the pair. His warning mixed with the girl’s shrieks as the man descended upon her. Kai knew as he ran that he wouldn’t make it in time. Only one person could; hopefully Sensei Wu was already on the move.

The hammers smacked down, causing Kai to stumble from the following vibrations. Dust whipped up, obscuring the front of the building where the man and his victim were. Coughing and blinking quickly, Kai peered through the obscurance, trying to detect any sign of golden light. The old man had made it in time, right?

The dust began to dissipate, leaving the blacksmith astounded. The little girl was still crying, but now she was fleeing around a corner, unharmed. That was the outcome he had been hoping for, but the problem was that as he looked around, he found that Sensei Wu was still standing right next to him. Then who…

The air cleared some more and Kai could now see what had happened in the dust cloud. The man still stood there, hammers lowered, disbelief etched on his face. At his feet lay what looked like a large jacket; a familiar jacket. The same grubby boy that had been stealing from these people now lay still on the ground, blood trickling down the side of his face.

Kai couldn’t comprehend the situation. What was that kid doing here? This person had been so eager to escape town with his stolen goods, so upset when Kai had gotten in his way. So why was it him lying on the ground right now? Why was he suddenly here, protecting a little girl when he obviously only cared about himself? The pieces didn’t fit together, which only served to fuel Kai’s frustration.

“Well, well,” Kai’s attention was drawn back to the silver-haired perpetrator, whose surprise had twisted into a sneer, “it’s you then. I had been so sure it would be someone younger. No matter…”

“Hey!” Kai felt savage pleasure as the guy’s smirk turned into a glare at the interruption. “Don’t lay one more finger on that person or you’ll regret it!”

The person turned towards them, causing Kai to reassess his early assumptions. Though gaunt, this person’s face betrayed his young age. He couldn’t be more than a few years older than he was. Also, Kai wasn’t short by any standards, but this guy easily towered over him. A closer look showed that his silver-white hair was buzzed on one side, revealing several piercings on his ear. These factors all added to his intimidating, confident demeanor.

No matter. Kai had no qualms with fighting someone bigger than him. Especially when they were sporting a rebellious, bad-boy look. It was almost like the guy was asking for trouble, and Kai’s pent-up frustration spurred him on to fight.

“I’m not in the mood to be stopped,” the person growled, pointing at Kai with one of his large hammers, “so just try me.”

“I would think twice, if I were you,” Sensei Wu stepped forward, firmly planting his bo staff onto the ground.

Kai could have sworn that the guy froze for a second, but the quick, confident smirk left him unsure.

“Look what we have here,” the person scoffed, flicking silver-white hair out of his face. “An old man come to ruin the younger generation’s fun. How boring.”

“Tormenting children and picking fights could hardly be called a respectable pastime,” Sensei Wu easily countered.

“I’d call it more of an obsessive interest,” the guy shrugged, hefting his hammers up.

A flash of silver light nearly blinded Kai. Blinking back the spots dancing in his vision, Kai saw a large vehicle where there once had been none. It looked like a tank, but designed so that it was condensed for mobilization. It’s armor was silver, black, and a deep gray, and shaped to be dangerous while minimizing air resistance. It was one wicked ride.

“Have fun on your useless journey!” The guy barked from the cockpit as a heavily tinted glass roof closed on top of it. The vehicle revved loudly and suddenly tore across the square, sending dust flying.

“Who the heck was that?” Kai immediately pestered the old man. “And what was the deal with that vehicle thing? It suddenly appeared out of nowhere!”

The shadows of dusk must have been playing tricks with Kai’s mind, because he thought for a second that Sensei Wu’s face looked haunted… and fearful. However, the next second he was stroking his beard methodically, seemingly unaffected by the strange occurrence.

“I believe,” the old man slowly gathered his thoughts, “it is safe to say that this individual is in league with Lord Garmadon.”

“Great,” Kai rolled his eyes. “Another person that’s all buddy-buddy with this psycho lord. That can only mean one thing: we’ll see him again later. Guess I know what I’m going to be looking forward to.”

Sensei ignored his sarcastic remark. Kai noted that he had also pointedly ignored his question concerning the vehicle. Which, of course, meant that he wasn’t going to tell him anything about it. Groaning at the lack of cooperation, Kai grumpily followed the old man across the village square. He was a bit intrigued as to who that child-tormentor creep was, but not enough to forget that he was still only here because of his sister. He’d keep his questions to himself if it meant that Sensei Wu would continue to help him with his personal endeavor.

As Kai followed his new mentor, the old man approached the still form of the unexpected helper. Even with the boy lying there, Kai felt no remorse for him. That’s what he got for trying to steal from helpless people. And yet...that pained expression frozen on his face...Kai shook his head, focusing instead on how thankful he was that the little girl had escaped unharmed. All because of the efforts of the person at his feet, but he still didn’t give this person any credit.

“Leave him,” Kai irritatedly huffed as the sensei bent down and began examining the person, “he’s a scumbag who was taking the villagers’ money while they were fleeing for their lives.”

“A ninja helps everyone, no matter how good or bad they might be.”

“Are you kidding me…” Kai groaned, running a hand through his spiky hair. This wasn’t right. Even if it was, it wasn’t worth it. Why should they consider helping such a selfish brat? If Kai or someone else was in a similar state, he knew that the boy wouldn’t think twice about leaving them lying there in the dust. Saving the little girl must have been an accident on the boy’s part. He must have been hurrying across the wrong place at the wrong time. If that was the case, they might as well leave him alone.

“I can’t see the extent of this person’s injuries,” Sensei Wu lifted his head, “at least not here. However, I do believe they’re quite possibly serious. We should tend to this individual immediately and keep an eye out for any changes during the night.”

“We’re staying here overnight?!” Kai planted his hands on his hips. “We don’t have that kind of time!”

“Kai… ”

“No!” Kai gestered emphatically. “I’m sick and tired of your plans and advice! First you get rid of my weapons, then you scold me for trying to help, and now you’re trying to save this boy!”

“Kai—”

“If you’re that concerned about him, ask the villagers to do something about it! We need to keep moving! We don’t have time to waste on him!”

“She’s not a him!”

“I don’t care! He doesn’t deserve—” Kai froze, his eyes narrowing. “What did you say?”

The sensei looked down at the person, confusion and worry etched on his face as he pushed back the large hood to reveal short, choppy hair framing a feminine face. “This person isn’t a him; she’s a girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is the female thief? And what's up with the dramatic rogue who makes me think of a humanized, punk Ghirahim from LoZ? That's a good question. XD Kidding, I'll just say that there's a good chance that more about the girl will come up in the next chapter. Maybe. XD  
> I'll try posting by the middle of November. Earlier if I can/get lucky/miraculously am not assigned any homework. XP I need Halloween so bad, will still have hw, but that candy tho. Plus, cosplaying. XD  
> Have a Happy Halloween!


	5. Smoke by the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sensei tends to the thief while Kai broods. And then, she finally comes around...
> 
> Warning: there is smoking and drug reference in this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm getting the chapter out early! Wasn't expecting that!  
> I tried to work on cutting down wordiness (yes, it's a big problem I struggle with XP ).

He was tired. He was stiff. His body ached for him to move, but he refused to even uncross his arms.

Kai honestly couldn’t believe his new mentor. First, he wouldn’t tell him anything about the guy with the silver-white hair. Sensei Wu couldn’t give him the excuse that he didn’t know who the guy was; Kai could tell the old man had instantly recognized the person. The two must have some sort of history between them. He would have to keep trying to pry that information out of the sensei.

And then, there was the little matter of _her_. Kai glowered at the still form of the thief lying beside the flickering campfire. He could care less about this miscreant. This person was a random passerby who happened to get involved. And yet, Sensei Wu was treating her with more attention than the threats lurking out there.

Kai angrily kicked at the ground, snapping a twig underfoot. If they were going to stop this early in the evening, they could at least stay somewhere comfortable. However, the villagers had wanted nothing to do with them. They had been freaked out by the unexpected attack and had avidly ignored Kai’s claims that they were the good guys. The villagers had promptly pleaded that they leave, even though they had someone injured on their hands. To Kai’s great annoyance, Sensei Wu had kindly obliged, and now they were here in the woods again. He was starting to tire of sleeping on the ground.

His thoughts were interrupted by a groan. His gaze flitted over towards the girl, who was beginning to stir. He watched coldly as her eyes fluttered open, her expression emanating confusion. She tried to move, hissing in pain when her injuries stopped her.

“You’re awake,” the girl’s head whipped around at Sensei Wu’s address. “Please, try to constrict your movements.”

Kai rolled his eyes as the girl pointedly ignored the old man. She raised herself into a seated position, face strained by the effort. Kai could tell from her furrowed eyebrows that she had discovered the bandages covering her arms. Despite his disinterest in the girl’s case, Kai had caught snippets of the girl’s condition as Sensei Wu had patched her up. Apparently, both of her arms were scraped and bruised pretty badly, and she had a moderate head injury.

Honestly, Kai was impressed that she hadn’t suffered worse damage. The man she had faced had been wielding some heavy-duty hammers. Even just one of those could easily snap a person’s bone in two. The hammers must have barely grazed her when she had jumped in. Either that, or she was incredibly lucky.

“Where am I?” The girl slurred, wincing as she clutched her head.

“Well, you’re not dead,” he commented, earning a squinted glare from her. This girl definitely had a concussion. She should quit moving before she made her injuries worse.

“Oh—” a string of curses and swearing followed her realization of who he was.

Kai growled in response to the barrage. He had never heard someone use so much foul language all at once, especially not directed towards him. Kai wanted to give her a taste of his fists and see if that changed her mind about cussing him out. But, his resolve to have as little to do with her as possible overrode his temper.

“Don’t be alarmed.” Kai watched as Sensei Wu seated himself in front of their unwelcome guest. “You are currently in our campsite, not too far from the village. We took the liberty of tending to your injuries.”

“Is that right?” The girl scoffed. “Please, we can skip the formalities. I know the real reason behind all this. You’re just holding me here until you can hand me over to the proper authorities. No one in their right minds would go to such lengths otherwise.”

“Oh yeah?” Kai took a step forward. “For your information, we saved you. You could at least pretend to be grateful, if that’s within your capacity.”

“You,” she gestured towards him, “Prickle, shut up. I don’t need your trash talk.”

“Prickle?!”

“Kai!” Sensei Wu interrupted his outburst. “Enough!”

He growled and moved to sit by the campfire, putting as much distance between them as possible.

“So, it’s Kai, huh?” The girl’s aggravating voice followed him. “Kai Prickle, not bad.”

Kai looked away and kept his mouth shut. Nope, he wouldn’t take the bait. No more from him.

“Please,” Sensei Wu gently addressed the girl, “could you tell us your name?”

“There’s no point,” she fished through her large jacket. “Just turn me in and that will be that.”

“By that logic,” Sensei mused, “wouldn’t there be no point in keeping your name a secret? We’re just going to hand you in anyway.”

The girl chuckled, which dissolved in a hiss of pain. Kai stiffly crossed his arms. He didn’t approve of this. Tending to her injuries was one thing, but engaging her in small talk? Not a chance.

“I guess that’s also true, old man,” she slurred. “But that still doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you. I’ll just leave you with Kibs, you can call me that.”

Kibs sat back up, a cigarette gripped in her hand. Leaning over with a wince, she lit it with the blazing campfire. Kai’s eyes narrowed as she sucked in the toxic fumes. He almost made a jab at her for smoking while she was injured, but he bit his tongue.

“Well then, Kibs,” the sensei didn’t seem deterred by her cold attitude, “may I ask you a question?” A grunt was all he got in reply, so he continued. “Why did you save that little girl?”

Kai’s eyes darted to the girl’s face, assessing her reaction. That was one thing that had been bothering him. Why did she stop the guy with the hammers from harming the child? Kai had already decided she was a person not to be trusted, but that one instant of heroism had him doubting.

“Save what now?” Kibs spoke around her cigarette.

“The little girl that was being threatened by the armed man. You jumped in and saved her.”

“Listen,” Kibs raised an eyebrow, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The last thing I remember was making my getaway. All this “saving” stuff you’re coming up with, not my shot of whiskey.”

Sensei Wu’s wrinkles deepened in concern. “Is that so? You don’t remember anything?”

“Nope.”

Kai could only stare. Did she really not remember? She was definitely the one who had saved the girl. Why then? Was her concussion causing a memory relapse?

“That’s quite unfortunate,” the old man sighed as he reached for something out of Kai’s line of sight.

“I don’t care either way,” Kibs shrugged, flicking her cigarette into the fire. “My life isn’t worth remembering. I’m just another jacked up soul thrown into this cruddy place.”

Kai clenched his fists at this remark. “Is that why you steal from people? What’s wrong with you? What happened for you to have such a negative view of yourself and the world?”

Kibs stared at him from across the campfire, her expression set. It aggravated him, but not as much as her eyes. They were green, but the color seemed off. It was as if they were dulled, the spark snuffed out of them. Beyond that, there was a wall; an impenetrable wall that blocked out everyone and everything.

“I meant what I said,” her voice was low and even. “My life isn’t worth remembering.”

Kai shuddered at the coldness of that barricade.

“That outlook of yours is also quite unfortunate,” Sensei Wu turned back around, holding out a steaming cup in his hands. “Tea?”

“Is this how you usually treat your prisoners?” Kibs smirked but accepted the cup anyway.

“No matter the person, everyone deserves a good cup of tea,” the sensei chuckled as he sipped at his own cup.

“Now you’re treating her to our food?” Kai blurted out. “And why didn’t you make one for me?”

“You didn’t ask for one.”

“Neither did she!”

“She’s our guest.”

“She’s a thief!”

“Patience.” Sensei Wu sighed as he stroked his beard. “You must learn patience, and you must learn not to be too quick to judge someone’s character.”

“I’m just being cautious.” Kai scowled.

“Wow, I didn’t think you were capable of such a wise decision.” Kibs toasted him with her tea.

Kai grumbled under his breath. He usually wasn’t this disagreeable, but this girl knew how to push all his buttons. Her slurring didn’t help. Speaking of that… he focused in on the chit chat occurring across the campsite. Her words seemed to be even more garbled than before. Did that mean the effects of her head injury were taking a heavier toll on her? Was she going to be ok? He stopped himself, realizing he was worrying about her. No, he was still upset at her. He did not care if her condition worsened.

“Well,” Kibs smacked her empty cup down, sending it rolling across the ground. “This… this has been fun, but I’d…” she cleared her throat, “… I’d better get going.”

“Excuse me?” Kai imitated her and stood up. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Look, Pr—Prickle,” she pointed haphazardly in his direction, “I know we joked about… about prison, but I have no intention of… of going there. I’m leaving.”

Kai frowned at the girl. Something was wrong. Kibs’ slurring almost made her words unrecognizable, and she seemed to have trouble forming her sentences. As Kai watched, he noticed how she was swaying where she stood and how her eyes appeared unfocused. Something was definitely off.

“Perhaps you should rest here for the night,” Sensei Wu calmly advised, sipping at his tea.

“Non—nonsense,” Kibs tottered to the right, “I feel...” she frowned as she struggled to articulate her words. “I feel just…”

Without warning, she toppled over.

“Woah!” Kai leapt forward, barely catching her from smashing into the ground. “Hey! Are you alright?”

“Can’t… can’t keep eyes open…” she murmured, her eyelids drooping. “Tea… tea… son of a…”

Her voice faded as her eyes closed. Soon, she lay slumped in Kai’s arms.

“Sensei!” He stammered. “What do I do? Is it her concussion? Is she going to be alright?”

“Patience,” the old man advised once again. “She’ll be alright. She’s simply sleeping.”

“No one falls asleep this quick,” Kai disagreed, his heart racing in his panic. “It’s got to be something else.”

“It’s good to see that you’re not simply relying on assumptions,” Sensei remarked, causing Kai to roll his eyes. “You’re right, she wasn’t simply weary. The tea I gave her contains relaxing components which promotes sleep.”

Kai’s mouth dropped open. “Wha― you― you drugged her?!”

The girl stirred in his arms, causing him to freeze. She muttered under her breath, snuggling into his arms and clutching the front of his shirt. Kai tried to ignore her, his cheeks flaming. This was all Sensei Wu’s fault.

“You drugged her?” He repeated in a quieter tone.

“I simply relied on the natural soothing elements of the tea.” Sensei Wu stated.

Kai raised an eyebrow. “So, you low-key drugged her?”

“I’m responsible for her sleeping state, yes.”

“Why did you do that?” He hissed. “Even if she is a thief, she doesn’t deserve this. There was no need to go to such lengths to keep her here.”

“There is, actually.” Sensei Wu shot him a serious expression. “She’s in pain, even more so than she lets on. Letting her leave would have furthered her injuries to the point where she could have suffered permanent damage. I don’t wish that kind of suffering on anyone.

“Also…” his mentor dipped his head. “I sensed it within her. That power that’s within you is within her too.”

“What?!”

“That’s why I asked her about her actions back in the village,” Sensei sighed. “I thought they were connected to her power and would explain how she got off with such few injuries. However, it appears that she herself hasn’t realized her potential.”

Kai’s mind went blank. This girl was like him? _This_ girl who stole from people without a second thought?

“Maybe you’re mistaken,” Kai shook his head.

“There’s no mistake,” Sensei countered. “I’ve become attuned to sensing the power that I speak of. The power residing within her is the same power within me, the same power that’s within you.”

“Why her?” Kai muttered.

“That, I cannot answer,” the old man sighed. “I didn’t expect to find anyone else besides you on my journey. And to think, that _he_ would be there when we found her. I suppose fate waits for no one.”

“Fate?” Kai questioned. He could only guess that ‘he’ referred to the silver-white haired guy. So, Kai was right; he was important.

“It’s nothing,” Sensei Wu gestured dismissively, settling himself into a lotus position.

Kai groaned. Of course his mentor would choose now to meditate. It seemed like that was the old man’s go-to when he wanted to avoid telling Kai anything.

“Please rest Kibs down on the ground,” Sensei peaked at him. “Unless you intend to carry her all night.”

“No!” He felt his cheeks heat up. “I told you, I want as little to do with her as possible.”

His mentor chuckled, encouraging Kai to stalk off to the opposite side of the fire. Where the old coot got his ideas, Kai didn’t know. Completely senile.

He gently lowered Kibs onto his own blanket that he had laid out earlier, carefully extracting his shirt from her grasp. That natural tea drug was something else to have worked that fast. At least it had stopped her from provoking him.

Kai prepared to find a soft patch of ground of his own to lie down on but found himself hovering beside Kibs. So, this was a person with a power similar to his. He gazed on her sleeping face, noting her tensed features. What kind of person was this Kibs? First, she was a thief, now she turned out to be a wielder of power. How would she take that news?

And how the heck were they going to explain all this to her when she finally woke up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang Sensei Wu, that's some tea you've got there. Guess you really don't want the world to end, huh.  
> Also, no need to be ghost readers! Feel free to comment below!
> 
> Update: whoops, forgot to include next chapter release date. XP Sooo, finals are coming up, which will take up a lot of time, and then I'm heading out of town for vacation 2 days after that. I'd pin the next release around Christmas, but I don't think any of us want to wait that long. XD So, I'm going to try my hardest to post the next chapter before finals start, so around the beginning of December. Keep your fingers crossed!


	6. A Place of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having been drugged, will Kibs listen to what Kai and Sensei Wu have to say? Or will she book it out of there as fast as she can?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you tell yourself that you'll have time to write during winter break, but then realize that you're even more busy than before...  
> Sorry for the late update, break was busier than I expected it to be. Plus, I had some trouble with this chapter. It turned alright in the end, I think.  
> Happy New Year!  
> Warning: slight language (tried to keep it to a minimum while still sticking true to Kibs' character)

“Could you not smoke that while I’m around? The smell is sickening.”

“Yes, I do mind, Prickle. I appreciate you asking.”

Kai groaned, stomping away from the person puffing noxious fumes in his direction. This was not how he had expected things to turn out. He should have known things would spiral downwards, especially after that episode about a week ago…

\----------

_ “―been too long! Anyway, we need to get going!” _

_ “Patience. Look, she awakens.” _

_ Kai paused in his ranting as a muffled groan sounded from the blanket mound that had been still for half the morning. The cover slipped off, revealing a blurry-eyed Kibs squinting at the pair of them. _

_ “What in the,” she cursed profusely, “was all that last night?” _

_ “Good morning, Kibs,” Sensei smiled cheerfully. Kai stared at him. Considering the fact that they should be explaining themselves, that was the wrong response. This wasn’t going to go well. _

_ “Drugged tea, really?” She rubbed her eyes, looking worse for wear. “Is that another way you usually treat your prisoners?” _

_ “The tea wasn’t drugged,” Sensei shook his head. “It was a chamomile and lemon tea brewed with valerian and hops.” _

_ Kibs raised an eyebrow. “Valerian and hops?” _

_ “Herbs to calm the nerves and occasionally used as sedatives.” _

_ “That counts,” Kibs huffed, digging through her jacket again and procuring another cigarette. “Didn’t peg you two as the type of people who go around drugging innocent girls.” _

_ “Woah,” Kai sputtered as she crawled over to the smoldering campfire. “Sensei Wu was just worried about your injuries! The drugs were meant to help you heal! Plus, don’t rope me in with his schemes, I had nothing to do with this.” _

_ “Kind of a sketchy way to help me, isn’t it?” Kibs poked her cigarette against a cinder. “Whatever. It just delayed my journey by a couple hours. If you’re done drugging me, healing me, whichever you call it, I’ll be on my way.” _

_ “Please, don’t leave just yet,” Sensei said as Kibs stood up with her lit cigarette. “We need your help.” _

_ “My help?” Kibs scoffed. “First you drug me and now you ask for my help? I can’t tell if you’re crazy or just plain stupid.” _

_ “The world is in danger!” Kai growled. “There’s this dark lord who’s hellbent on destroying Ninjago! However, there are some people who have this inner power to stop him, and for some reason, you’re one of them.” _

_ “I see…” Kibs puffed on her cigarette. “Sounds fun. Sadly, it looks like I’ve got other plans that come before this child’s play. Sorry, not.” _

_ She blew smoke in his face before stalking away from the camp. _

_ “You―” Kai coughed, his temper nearing boiling point. “What part of “destroying Ninjago” do you not understand? Once Garmadon gets his hands on the Golden Weapons, I don’t think he’ll leave you alone to do as you please!” _

_ Kibs froze. “What did you say?” _

_ “Garmadon won’t leave you alone?” _

_ “No, before that,” Kibs turned around, her eyes narrowed. “What did you say he’s trying to get his hands on?” _

_ “The Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu,” Sensei Wu answered before Kai had a chance to. “The most powerful weapons in existence. If Lord Garmadon obtains all four of them, the world will surely suffer.” _

_ “The Golden Weapons…” Kibs muttered, her cigarette forgotten in her hand. _

_ Kai frowned at her. Why did it matter to her what way Garmadon destroyed the world? Did she know something about these weapons that he didn’t? He had just heard about them himself not too long ago, but maybe their legend was better known to her. _

_ “What are you guys trying to do exactly?” Kibs gestured towards them. _

_ “We’re going to find the weapons before he does.” Kai pounded his fist into his hand. _

_ “I see,” Kibs took a long draw from her cigarette, letting it out slowly. “So, if this Garmadude gets these weapons, he’ll end the world you say? Well,” Kibs shrugged, “guess I’ve got no choice. I’m coming with you.” _

_ “Wait, really?” Kai eyed her. “Just like that? I thought you didn’t care.” _

_ “I don’t.” Kibs stuffed her cigarette in her mouth. “But my plans won’t happen if they’re stopped by a psycho. So, I’ll only help until the danger passes, and then I’ll be on my way again.” _

_ Kai caught Sensei Wu nodding gratefully, but he couldn’t copy the sentiment. Something didn’t feel right. Kibs had changed her mind too quickly; she had required almost minimal persuasion before deciding to join them. It didn’t sit well with Kai. They needed her help, but Kai wasn’t sure if he wanted to work alongside someone he couldn’t trust. He’d have to keep an eye on her. _

\----------

That was a week ago. Since then, he’d constantly regretted her joining them.

The strong odor of smoke flooded his nostrils, causing him to cough.

“Are you serious?” He snapped, glowering at the perpetrator. “I purposefully walked away so that I can breathe the clean air while you enjoy getting lung cancer. What does it take to get the message across?”

“I don’t know,” Kibs shrugged, releasing more smoke directly into his face. “Just wanted to let you know that the old-timer said that we’re here.”

“For the love of Ninjago,” Kai groaned, “can you stop with―” Kai froze. “What did you say?”

“We’re here,” Sensei Wu strode between them, his upward gaze causing Kai to look as well.

Through the boughs of the trees, Kai could distinctly see a dark, jagged object clashing with the blue sky. A lone mountain. He had failed to catch sight of it before due to the trees’ density.

“Alright!” Kai charged forward. “Now we’re talking!”

He reached the base of the mountain long before the others. Wasting no time, he began searching for a door or some sign of an entrance.

“Sensei Wu!” He yelled out. “How do we get in?”

“We don’t go in,” the all-too-familiar bo staff rapped sharply on top of his head. “We go that way.”

Rubbing his head with a scowl, he looked in the direction that his mentor’s staff was pointing.

“Holy…” Kibs swore under her breath.

“Are you serious?” Kai rounded on the old man. “Are you telling me that the ideal place to train is  _ on top  _ of the mountain?”

“Of course,” Sensei nodded sagely, strapping his bo staff to his back. Before Kai could blink, the old man began scaling the mountainside, nimbly maneuvering the foot and handholds. “Let us rise above the problems of this world!”

“Stuff it, old-timer,” Kibs grumbled, flicking her cigarette away.

“Are you going up there?” Kai asked, eyeing the mountain. His climbing experience was limited to trees and rooftops. He’d never scaled a mountain, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to start by free-climbing one.

“Only if I’m insane as hell,” Kibs grumbled, approaching the rocky surface anyway.

“This is suicide,” Kai groaned, following her.

“Doesn’t look like I’ve got a choice,” she huffed, beginning her assent.

“Are you sure this is ok?” Kai hesitated. “Your wounds only just healed.”

“Like I give a crap. Also, quit the act. This whole concern for my well-being doesn’t suit you, Prickle.”

Kai growled, hurriedly beginning his assent with the intention of passing her up. He didn’t want to be anywhere near his agitating companion right now. She wasn’t the type of person he wanted to deal with when all he wanted was to return home, Aiden and Nya safely by his side. He wished now more than ever that one of them were accompanying him. At least neither of them had made it their personal goal to torment him until the day he died.

\---------

Kai flopped onto the ground, his shaking arms refusing to support him. His chest heaved as his lungs burned to be replenished with oxygen.

“We… we made it.” He gasped out, cracking an eye open to look around at his surroundings.

Sensei Wu was calmly perched on a rock, once again meditating. Not only was the old man not breathing heavily after the climb, but he had managed to beat them to the top. That put a dent in Kai’s pride.

Gasping alerted him of Kibs’ arrival. Ignoring her incessant muttering and cursing, he instead glanced beyond the cliff they were on. Walls stretched up before them, encircling the top of the mountain. They hid what lie inside, playing on Kai’s kindled impatience.

“How long are we going to stay here?” He huffed out.

It felt like an eternity before Sensei Wu replied. When he finally did, he stood and faced Kai, a gentle smile on his lips as he serenely stroked his beard.

“Patience.”

Kai groaned, slowly raising himself into a standing position despite the protest of his shaking body. They had wasted time to climb a mountain while his sister was still in captivity. Whatever was beyond those walls better be worth this sidetracked journey.

“Need a hand?” He asked his still prostrated companion, accompanying the offer with an outstretched arm.

Kai flinched in surprise as his hand was swatted away.

“Like hell… I do…” Kibs gasped, heaving herself onto her hands and knees.

Kai felt his hands clasp into fists as his brow creased into a frown.

“Fine,” he growled. “Don’t expect me to help your sorry self anymore.”

“Great,” she glared up at him. “Saves me the effort of telling you to stay out of my way.”

“Smoke addict!”

“Hedgehog head!”

“Enough!” Kai snapped his mouth shut at Sensei Wu’s command. “If you can’t remain civil with each other now, how do you expect to get along when you train together?”

“Whoa, excuse me?” Kai glowered at the old man. “There’s no way I’m working with her!”

“For once, I agree with Prickle,” Kibs muttered as she finally stood up. “I’ll tolerate this idiot’s presence while we work towards the same goal, but that’s as far as this goes.”

“Idiot?!”

“Plus,” she ignored his outburst, “I didn’t agree to any training. I’ve had my fair share of fighting, I’ll rely on my experience to get me through.”

Sensei Wu sighed heavily and held off replying. Kai fumed in silence, enraged at how casually he had been referred to as an idiot. If he wasn’t doing all this to save his sister, he’d never put up with it.

“A team’s greatest strength,” Sensei Wu finally spoke up, “is founded on trust. If its members have one another’s backs and trust each other with their lives, then nothing stands in their way. If you sincerely wish to go down the paths you’re describing, you risk that foundation of trust. Are you sure you want that?”

“Of course,” Kibs quickly replied. “I’ve always worked best alone.”

Kai glanced at Sensei Wu. The old man’s eyes were trained on his, grave and serious. He couldn’t help but feel that this was some sort of test, something that shouldn’t be answered hastily. But his sister…

“I agree,” Kai nodded. His hands clenched at his resolve. He was here for his sister, that was all. Forming a “team” with such a person as Kibs would only serve as a distasteful distraction and would slow him down. It was up to him and him alone to save his only surviving family member.

“I see…” Sensei Wu sighed, bowing his head. “Well, if that is truly your resolve, then follow me.”

As Sensei Wu led them around the wall, Kai avoided looking at Kibs. From now on, his interaction with her would be minimal. When they were traveling, necessary conversation and insults were unavoidable. However, this temporary pause in their journey would ensure that he wouldn’t have to deal with her every hour of the day. And not a moment too soon; he was sick of her attitude and the smoke always lingering about her.

They soon reached a pair of gates, red paint fading on their large wooden surfaces. Leading away from them was a roughly-hewn set of steps carved into the mountain. They stretched and curved down the steep side, becoming lost in the passing fog. Kai gritted his teeth. So, there was another way up this mountain… he barely kept himself from yelling at the sensei. He’d only get another maddeningly calm reply of “patience” or some other sort of baloney.

The gates swung open with a heave from the old man in question. Kai eagerly eyed the interior of the highly anticipated training space and was greeted with…

“A monastery?” He blurted out, rounding on the old man. “You expect me to fight in a place of peace?”

“Not fight,” Sensei Wu chuckled, peddling past the gates, “train.”

Kai rolled his eyes at the comment, taking a second look around the disappointing reveal. An expansive courtyard greeted them, its smooth cobblestones fitted perfectly together. It led the way to an old monastery, complete with shoji paper doors and a roofed porch. It was well-kempt, but Kai could care less. Training here would be no more special than training in the woods below.

Suddenly, the courtyard sprung to life. Cobblestones sank and slid apart as large structures rose from the ground. Circular platforms covered in an assortment of weapons dotted the courtyard. A large pole containing fighting equipment rose in the middle of the assortment. Together, it formed a condensed training course.

Kai found that his mouth was wide open and quickly snapped it shut. “Whoa. Is this going to help me learn how to do that cool tornado trick?”

Anxious to finally begin his training, he nimbly leapt up onto one of the stakes. Drawing on his knowledge of martial arts, he struck up a crane stance.

“If that’s your idea of training, I’m doubly glad I’m coping out.” Kibs scoffed.

Drawing breath to argue, Kai was cut off by a load cranking sound. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he felt his feet leave the ground as he was catapulted into the air. Arms flailing, there was little he could do to stop his impact with the course’s middle stake. All air left him, and he soon found himself back on solid ground. He curled up, trying to relieve his winded lungs.

“You are not ready to learn Spinjitzu,” Sensei stated matter-of-factly. “You require extensive training before you will be prepared to master that ancient art.”

Kai groaned, slowly sitting himself up.

“What kind of training are we talking about?”

“You must complete the training course, naturally,” Sensei nodded. “However, that is not all. You must complete it… before I finish my tea.”

Kai could only stare as the old man whipped out a teapot and cup out of nowhere. His mentor’s lips twitched as he looked down on him in amusement. Laughter sounded behind Kai, which he ignored. He didn’t need to look to know it was Kibs.

Frustrated, he punched the ground. He wasn’t being allowed to learn Spinjitzu yet? And he had to beat a training course while his new mentor enjoyed his hot beverage? He felt like Sensei Wu was dangling the promise of the means for saving his sister right in front of his nose, and then snatching it away before Kai could grasp it. As if he was teasing him just for kicks.

Kai stood up, facing the mirthful master. If this is what it took to save his sister, he would do it without hesitation. He’d come this far, he wasn’t backing down now.

“When do we start?”

\----------

Pain. Immense pain. As he extracted himself from murky depths, Kai tried to reach up and stop the pain.

“Hey, quit it, you idiot,” his hand suddenly started stinging, as if someone had smacked it. “Keep trying to move and you’re going to end up undoing the old-timer’s patch-up job.”

Groaning, Kai finally forced his eyes open. He found himself facing the familiar rafters of the room that he’d claimed as his temporary bedroom. Turning his head, he was surprised to see Kibs sitting nearby.

“What happened?”

“You failed spectacularly,” she smirked, leaning back in her chair and propping her feet up on his bed. “That ball and chain came swooping around and took you out.”

“So that’s what that was,” Kai moaned, vaguely remembering a large, dark object crashing into him before his memory failed him.

“There was blood everywhere,” she recounted, puffing excitedly on her ever-present cigarette. “I think at one point the old-timer was afraid that you might kick the bucket. But of course, you failed at even that and only ended up with some scratches and bruised ribs.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Kai grunted, attempting to heave himself into a seated position. “Also, why the heck are you here?”

“Trust me, I’d rather be hanging anywhere else,” Kibs replied moodily. “Old man Sensei assigned me to babysitting duty while he left to go do some more meditating or crap like that. I was going to leave the moment he walked out, but I thought I might as well be the one to inform you of your miserable failure.”

“Get a life,” Kai growled, slowly swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

“Going somewhere?”

“I’m going to try the training course again.”

“Sure, idiot,” she rolled her eyes. “You just got injured and aren’t at your best. Facing that training course, which you have yet to beat, sounds like a fantastic option.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Kai fired at her.

“Whatever,” Kibs shrugged. “Feel free to die during your attention-seeking efforts, Prickle.”

Kai froze. “What?”

“That’s what this is all about, yeah?” She lazily gestured towards him. “You’ve got something to prove, and this whole dark lord phenomenon is the perfect opportunity. You land a couple punches, retrieve one or two of those special weapons, and the old-timer will finally give you the recognition you think you deserve.”

“What the–are crazy?” Kai sputtered. “That’s not why I’m here!”

“You don’t have to hide it,” Kibs waved off his objections. “It’s better that it’s out in the open anyway. Less people will get hurt that way. That’s all, go back to your “heroic” training.”

She swung herself up from her chair and stalked towards the door. Kai stared at her retreating form. His body shook in silent rage and his fists clenched painfully.

“Is that what you think of me?” He blurted out. “You think I chose this job because wanted to?”

Kibs stood framed in the door, neither leaving nor returning to the room.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Kai continued. “I’d rather be anywhere than stuck here. But I don’t have a choice. These forces we’re facing, they’re the ones that…”

He paused. Kai hadn’t told Kibs that Nya had been kidnapped. It was information that he didn’t feel like telling her. However, if he was going to validate his motives…

“They took my sister.” He looked to Kibs for a reaction, but she still had her back to him. “I’m here so that I can save her. I’m going to get her back. You’re the one here for your own selfish reasons, not me. Don’t think we’re the same.”

Kibs finally turned around. Kai wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting to see - derision, maybe sympathy - but the flat expression she had fixed on her face was not one of them.

“Is that so, “hero?”” Her cold voice queried. “You’re doing all this for your sister? Fine, tell yourself that. But I’ve dealt with your type before. Your pride will get in the way. You can’t help but boost your own ego, even at the expense of others.

“Try to use your big head to give that some thought before you hurt somebody.” She turned and walked out the door. “Especially if that somebody turns out to be your sister.”

Kai stood there, flabbergasted. Discussing or arguing personal matters had seemed like a taboo ever since Kai had accidentally fired off about how her attitude must be connected to her past. He’d avoided any sensitive topics, sticking with their needless insults they always threw at each other. And now, here she was, confidently inserting that he’d eventually let his sister down out of his own selfishness.

He stalked out of the room, his lips curled into a snarl. Since when did she get off lecturing him? Her motives were undoubtedly more selfish than his. True, he still hadn’t figured out what her true intentions were, but for a start she was undoubtedly only looking out for her own skin.

And as for her claim about knowing that he would most certainly change his motives… he ground his fist into his palm. It wouldn’t happen. He’d complete the training course, save his sister, and then head home. That’s all he wanted, and that’s all he was going to do. He’d show her, he’d show everyone. He would save his sister. He’d do it, even if it meant he’d have to do it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for the date of when I drop the next chapter, I can't make any promises. The spring semester is not too kind on my schedule. Plus, I'm trying to be careful when developing this plot, I don't want to dig myself into a hole that I can't get out of.  
> Feel free to drop a kudos and leave a comment! It's possible that some very familiar faces will be making an appearance next chapter. *dun dun dun*


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